Hiraeth
Central Library
Catriona Stanton encountered responses of mirth and a myriad of personal anecdotes when the topic of the Welsh Love Spoon was raised on the streets of Swansea but, for her as a visitor to the city, encountering a Welsh Love Spoon for the first time engendered deep affection. ‘What better means into the hearts of the Welsh than through the Love Spoon’. Catriona Stanton 2002
The custom of giving a hand carved spoon laden with symbols of love dates from as early as the 16th Century. This tradition evolved out of domestic crafts associated with living on the land. The custom developed as the more elaborate the design would signify the strength of the love betrothed. Today, Love Spoons are more often than not in mass exodus from Wales as a tourist commodity. Catriona Stanton’s work at Swansea Central Library, ‘Hiraeth’, meaning a deep deep longing for home in Welsh, is an attempt to bring the the Welsh Love Spoon back into the hands and hearts of the Welsh.
