From Wikipedia ;
Carving love spoons is a Welsh tradition.
The love spoon is thought to have originated from the "cawl" (soup or stew) spoon. Over generations, decorative carvings were added to the spoon and it lost its original practical use and became a treasured decorative item to be hung proudly on a wall.
The love spoon was given to a young woman by her suitor. It was important for the girl's father to see that the young man was capable of providing for the family and woodworking.
Sailors would often carve love spoons during their long journeys, which is why anchors would often be incorporated into the carvings.
Certain symbols came to have specific meanings: a horseshoe for luck, a cross for faith, bells for marriage, hearts for love, a wheel supporting a loved one. and a lock for security, among others. Caged balls indicated the number of children hoped for. Other difficult carvings, such as chains, were as much a demonstration of the carver's skill as a symbolic meaning.
Although the Welsh lovespoon is the most famous there are also traditions of lovespoons in Scandinavia and some parts of Eastern Europe, which have their own unique styles and techniques.
This spoon is 15"x4"x1".
For a first real carving project this was a little more than I had expected in that I decided to do it in Red Oak and had few tools at the time. In these pictures it is about 98% done. I just need a little more shaping on the bowl and a little clean up at the junctions.
