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Symbols documented to represent love, union, devotion or affection — across cultures and considerably older than the greetings-card ones.
Several of these carry other meanings too, some of them primary. A symbol appearing here has a documented love association, not only that one.
Something this symbol is documented to represent is associated with this idea. That is a fact about the recorded meaning, not a claim that everyone perceives the symbol this way.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to love: “…patience and endurance, not for romantic love, which is the reading a European viewer supplies from…”
A stylised heart shape.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to wedding: “…letters carry, which is why gifts of money at weddings and celebrations are commonly made in multiples of…”
Two Hebrew letters read as the word for 'living', worn as a pendant.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to love: “…the hands for friendship, the heart for love and the crown for loyalty — a gloss repeated consistently…”
Two hands holding a crowned heart, an Irish emblem of love and loyalty.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to marriage: “…interlocked, placed before a date to state that a marriage was dissolved on it”
The marriage rings drawn apart, meaning the marriage ended.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to wedding: “…joy twice side by side, used as a Chinese wedding decoration”
The character for joy written twice, side by side.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to betrothal: “Marks a betrothal or a pledge of faith, the two clasped right hands…”
Two right hands clasped, a betrothal motif on European rings.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to love: “…to the individual leaves — faith, hope, love and luck — but the attribution is folk tradition with…”
A clover with four leaflets instead of three, taken as a sign of luck.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to marriage: “…what the date records — birth, baptism, marriage, death or burial — without spelling the word out”
The small marks that stand in for born, died and married before a date.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to courtship: “…in customary use for correspondence and courtship poetry”
A living Philippine abugida.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to affection: “…Its use on cards and its use as a mark of affection descend from the same convention rather than one from…”
A red rounded form, the one suit that survived every regional redesign.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to marriage: “…of pretence, which is a statement about marriage and inheritance rather than decoration”
A small shield borne on a shield.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to affection: “Registers approval of, or affection for, the item it is attached to, and usually adds…”
A heart outline expressing approval or affection for an item.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to marriage: “…rings placed before a date to state that a marriage took place on it, or set on the line joining two people…”
Two interlocked rings before a date, meaning a marriage.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to marriage: “Denotes union or marriage, one of a group of nsibidi signs recording relationships…”
Two forms joined to show a bond.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to marriage: “…Lancaster, and was adopted after Henry VII's marriage to Elizabeth of York in 1486”
A stylised five-petalled rose shown from the front, with sepals between the petals.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to love: “…blessings — long life, wealth, health, love of virtue and a natural death — which is a specific…”
A bat with outspread wings.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to love: “…the letters F, L and T for Friendship, Love and Truth”
Three interlinked chain rings, the emblem of the Odd Fellows.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to marital: “…between the eyebrows for decorative or marital reasons rather than as a devotional mark, though the…”
A mark applied to the forehead, whose direction identifies the tradition.
A documented meaning of this symbol refers to affection: “…tradition to signify attraction, harmony and affection”
A circle above a cross — Venus, the female sign, and copper.