Forget love notes and flowers, in Wales, the lovespoon is the ultimate romantic gesture. First given as a token of affection in the 16th Century, each spoon is beautifully and often elaborately carved to give personal meaning from a single piece of wood. Still extremely popular today, lovespoons are routinely chosen as gifts to commemorate special occasions such as engagements, weddings, christenings and Valentine’s Day (or Dydd Santes Dwynwen if you’re Welsh).
But what have they got to do with Google? Well, on St. David’s Day (1 March) we were thrilled to discover not a dragon or a daffodil (although we love these too) but that a beautiful Welsh lovespoon had been chosen as the ‘Google Doodle’ on Google’s homepage – and we weren’t the only ones. Patricia Price from the Lovespoon Gallery in Mumbles was over the moon with Google’s choice. After a little digging, she tracked down the person responsible – Matt Jones from Conwy in North Wales. Now an LA based artist and animator, Matt had been contacted by a friend at Google asking for ideas about what they could do to celebrate St. David’s Day. After careful consideration, Matt decided on a lovespoon and produced his own unique design.
To thank Matt for his part in showcasing such an important part of our Welsh heritage and culture to a global audience, Patricia commissioned a carver to make a real life replica of Matt’s lovespoon (above), which was sent to him in LA. We think it’s an terrific match! What do you think?
If you would like to learn more about Welsh lovespoons, or to buy one as a gift for a loved one – look no further than the fantastic Lovespoon Gallery in Mumbles. Specialists since 1987, the gallery produces exquisitely hand carved lovespoons with hundreds of designs to choose from. They also make great Swansea Bay souvenirs! Browse their online shop, or even better, pop into the Gallery if you’re in Swansea Bay and Mumbles.
