Fans, Mirrors & Spoons
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| “Fans, Mirrors & Spoons” (& apples too!) Curious Courtship from Around the World a digital collage by Paulina Constancia |
Victorian Women and Their Fans
Isla Taquile’s Courting Mirror
I remember how this was one of the most curious customs shared to us by our tour guide when we visited Isla Taquile, Lago de Titicaca, Peru.
“The typical age to get married is 16 for girls and 18 for boys and in the courting ritual, if a boy is single he will wear a hat of red and white that he has knitted himself and it must be of the absolute very best quality (on the island knitting is strictly a man´s job, women do the spinning). He will also keep a small mirror in his belt. The single girls will also keep a mirror in their pocket and wear a black shawl with four big multicoloured pompoms on the end each with a rock in the middle to make them heavy. If a boy sees a girl he likes he can reflect the sunlight in his mirror at her to get her attention, and if she likes him she may do the same. If she doesn´t however she may dip her hat or even hit him away with her pompoms! Sometimes the boy might even throw small stones at the girl (!) to get her attention. Then, if she likes him, she will take his hat from him and take it home to inspect the quality! She does this by filling it up with water – if no water leaks through she will know that the hat is of the finest quality and the boy is a good catch, however if the hat leaks then she will know that the boy is lazy. The guide told us that some boys have begun cheating now and have been rubbing animal fat inside the hat to stop the leaks!”
(Read more on “Sailing Lake Titicaca” by Anjuli Cooper)
The Welsh Love Spoon
(Read the full text here)
So next time you want to buy chocolates or roses for your beloved, think again..you can be more creative than that!!! Hahahaha
DAILY DOSE OF ART 
Very interesting!