Local icons with universal identity?

Happy St David’s Day! My grandmother, who sadly died years ago, was born in Wales, so I decided to explore my Welsh heritage. Welsh icons include leeks and a delightfully archaic national costume. But it’s not all coal, rugby, sheep and dragons in this curiously Celtic corner of our little island... There are also daffodils and lovespoons too - the latter being rather pertinent in view of Prince William’s impending nuptials - what with him being based at RAF Valley in Anglesey and next in line to inherit the heir apparent's title, Prince of Wales.

Possibly dating from the 14th century, and based on the ‘cawl’ or soup spoon, lovespoons were carved by young Welshmen to demonstrate their practicality and craftsmanship (much needed in rural Wales) to the father of their intended brides. The suitor carved one or more of a selection of traditional symbols to convey his special message:



Single Heart – My Heart is yours
Double Heart – Love is returned, we feel the same way
Celtic Knot – Everlasting
A Flower – Courtship
A Daffodil – Flower of Wales
The Dragon – Symbol of Wales / Protection
A House – My Home is Yours
A key / Keyhole – My Home is Yours
A Chain – Captured Love
Balls in a cage – Captured Love / Number of Children Desired
Heart Shaped Bowl – Fulfilled Love
Double Bowl – The Couple
Triple Bowl – The Couple and family
Vines – Growing Together
Horse Shoe – Good Luck
Bells – The Wedding
A Cross – Faith
A Ship – Safe Journey through Life
An Anchor – I Want to Settle Down
(List courtesy of Lovespoons Wales).



However, accepting this token of love was by no means an indication that a Welsh girl would marry her suitor - and some popular women amassed huge collections of lovespoons…









Anyway, I blame the Royal Wedding for my digression onto the subject of lovespoons, when what I really wanted to talk about is identity. These days it’s rare for us to identify ourselves with one particular place and culture. Most of us are a conglomeration of influences, ranging from birthplace and hometown to cities we’ve travelled to and people we’ve met. Our unique psychogeography and the individual stories that make up our lives have become more significant than our local origins.



Unlike lovespoons, today’s gifts and tokens of affection are more likely to reflect globally procured character – like the curiosity charm necklaces by Cartography40N74W at ShopCurious.

But might this curious trend lead to the wholesale globalization of culture, and what will the implications be for future generations? Or has the nostalgia-led backlash already begun? Your comments are most welcome, especially if you’re proudly Welsh.

Are you?

Tink before you tattoo

Did you read the article from Shine, The 6 biggest tattoo regrets, that was posted on a major search engine’s lifestyle site today? There were a huge number of comments, indicating that an awful lot of people want to talk about their tattoo troubles.

If you’re looking to avoid regrets altogether, temporary tattoos can be the answer. At ShopCurious, we’ve just become the exclusive UK stockist of a new range of limited edition temporary tattoos by a company called Tink-It (Temporary Ink It).





None of your kiddy style sticker stuff here, the first Tink-It collection has been designed by achingly cool French artists, plus there are five designs to choose from, and between two and eighteen separate tattoos in each box set. Tinks last for one to three days and can be easily wiped off using make-up remover, but whilst they’re on your body, you’ll become a living work of art.

Tattoos are arguably the Marmite of the skin world, either loved or loathed. If you’re a fan of tattoos, are thinking of getting one, or simply curious to see how some people choose to express their personalties through body decoration, you might like to pop along to the ‘Skin’ exhibition at the Wellcome Collection, which runs until 26th September.


Part of the exhibition explores the skin “as a place where natural, cultural, artificial or supernatural marks inscribe themselves on the body. Human skin provides a living document of transformation, deformity, ageing and illness. It also serves as a canvas where personal and cultural practices of decoration, construction of identity and self-expression are communicated to the world." Something worth bearing in mind…

Tink about it.

Will you?