Love Spoons

[Scott Satterfield]

I have a spoon that my great great grandfather carved for his betrothed.  I understand that it is a Swedish Love Spoon.  I find information on Celtic love spoons, but not much about the Swedish customs.  Can anyone help?
 
Thanks in advance for any information!

[Sara Näslund]

I don't know if spoons in particular was customary as gifts, but I do know that it was customary to make gifts for your future wife (and husband) - while the men mainly made woodwork, the women sew and made embroideries.  
 
Maybe the spoons were a local custom - where were your great great grandfather from? Or maybe someone else, that know more of marriage customs could give you an answer.

[Scott Satterfield]

He was born in 1845 in Byn, Fröskog, Dalsland.  He carved the spoon and gave it to his future wife with the name Mrs. August Erikson on it.

[Per Thorsell]

Scott.
 
This item may well be of interest to Nordiska Mus?et, that collect and investigate all sorts of old Swedish customs. If you send an email with a description of the spoon and the circumstances as you know them, if possible with a picture attached, you may get som valuable feed-back. One person to start with is:
Johan Knutsson
johan.knutsson@nordiskamuseet.se
 
Take good care of your spoon, and keep it together with a description of its background.
 
Per Thorsell.

[Bo Johansson]

If you search Google images with fästmansgåva or friargåvayou will see some variants of such gifts.
 
// Bo Johansson