Personalised handfasting band with rows selling of symbols, finished with a charm and tassel at each end

Personalised 100% cotton hand-fasting band with rows of symbols, finished with a tassel and charm at the endpoints. The sample shown has silver coloured embroidery with the symbols of the Claddagh ring, Triquetra with circle, and a celtic knotwork heart designed by Mary Gristwood, however most symbols can be used. There is a gap in the middle for the knot. Roughly 5cm wide x 100cm long. Made to order.

The triquetra is probably the most well-known celtic knot. It was used by the pagans (we think it symbolised Earth, sea and sky) and also used by Christians to symbolise the Trinity. This design also has a ring woven into it. The Claddagh ring is a traditional Irish wedding symbol. The celtic knotwork heart designed by Mary Gristwood has a small inner heart as well as the larger outer heart and is intertwined with three smaller knots. The knotwork has no beginning, and more importantly no end, which makes it eternal, and perfect for a marriage symbol.

Inspired by the traditional symbolism of Scotland and Ireland, Mary Gristwood has created a number of beautiful designs, each reflecting an aspect or nuance of these ancient lands.

Handfasting is a symbolic marriage ritual which spans several cultures dating back thousands of years. Today, it is perhaps mostly associated with the ancient Celts and a nature-related ritual with a spiritual tradition. The phrase ‘tying the knot!' and the action of shaking someone's hand to agree something, may well be derived from this ceremony of binding hands together to symbolise the union of love.

Mary Gristwood is a qualified textiles technologist with a background in wedding designs, which have been purchased and exhibited internationally, including in the Ulster Folk Museum in her native Ireland. selling