Swedish Engagement Spoon

This is an engagement (fästegåva) spoon from the Upplandsmuseet collection. This has a lot more information than I typically see attached to a spoon. Engagement spoons were more finely carved than either "feeling" (känning) or "proposal" (frieri) spoons, thus signifying a higher degree of commitment.

"The spoon was an engagement gift. The links attached to the shaft were called fidelity knots and the balls in the shaft would mean how many children one would have. The young girls in Älvkarleö were given such spoons for their future. The spoons were made by an old man.

The donor's mother's aunt, married to the priest Jonas Offrell, Old Uppsala, had a daughter from whom the donor received the spoon.

Gift in 1929 from Wivan Röding, Uppsala

IDENTIFIER UM02509
PART OF COLLECTION Upplandsmuseets samlingar
OWNER OF COLLECTION Upplandsmuseet"

I knew about the symbolism of the balls, but calling the chain links fidelity knots is new to me. All in all, a very interesting item.

You can see my spoons at https://theartofromance.etsy.com

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