We all know how beautiful engraved Welsh love spoons are and, here at Angel Woodcraft, we love being part of the wood-carving tradition that has been taking place in Wales since 1667 at least!

But it seems as though these stunning spoons, which were originally meant to serve as a love token, have garnered the attention of some of the most famous fashion designers in the world – such as Alexander McQueen.

Back in March 2020, the renowned fashion house revealed that collections to be found in the St Fagans Museum of National History inspired a jacket that the one and only Beyonce wore on the December cover of British Vogue. What a claim to fame for our beautiful spoons!

Creative director Sarah Burton and her team apparently visited the museum various times to examine the traditional Welsh craft collections.

Ms Burton said: “This jacket symbolises the juxtaposition of female power and sensitivity, with sleeves hand-draped in the studio to form exploded hearts. The body is strictly tailored and the shoulders are sculptured, echoing the lovespoons that we found in Welsh houses – traditional tokens of endearment exchanged by lovers ahead of marriage.”

While these spoons were originally meant as tokens of love and affection, hand-carved by men who would present their lady love with one in the hopes of winning her heart, over time they have come to be used for all sorts of special occasions, everything from Valentine’s and weddings to new arrivals.

They all have deep symbolic meaning, with different icons and motifs representing a range of different ideas. Angels symbolise protection, for example, while horseshoes are for luck, birds are for love, heart-shaped bowls represent a full life together and a ball in a cage symbolises the number of children.