The Rhea bowl is named after a Greek goddess and a moon of Saturn.
In Greek mythology…
Rhea was a Titaness, the daughter of earth goddess Gaia and sky god Ouranus. She was the older sister of Cronus, who was also her consort. The Titans were the generation of deities that preceded that Olympian gods, and as a Titaness Rhea was also known as “the mother of gods”.
It has been suggested by ancient etymologists and modern scholars that the name Rhea is derived from ἔρα (éra) meaning ground or earth. Her name can also be connected with words for pomegranate.
In our Solar System…
Rhea is the second largest moon of Saturn, and the ninth largest moon in our Solar System. She was discovered by astronomer Giovanni Dominick Cassini in 1672. The surface of Rhea is icy and heavily cratered.
Bowl forms were the first pieces I made when I revisited ceramics in 2019. Working away in my small kitchen corner studio I made pinch pot after pinch pot. I called these vessels Rhea bowls, seeing them as the seed of the pieces that came to follow. They were Rhea, ground and earth, the pomegranate containing the fruit and seeds of the future journey.
Made from earth, containing nourishment and energy is exactly what the Rhea bowl does. It also holds potential - you can use these vessels to hold and serve up anything your heart desires.
For me, bowls conjure up visions of bringing friends and family together to eat. Serving good food to other people is an act of love. The Rhea bowls’ greatest desires are to witness love in action through nourishment, commensality and connection.
