Felicia's Bowl

A single bowl is one of Felicia's symbols. It represents her generosity and kindness.

Even at home, she always had one. I don't know how many she had, but we never ran out. She gave them away, too, if someone needed one. She gave them soup and let them keep the bowl. You'd never believe how much that small act of kindness could mean to someone. Even just one bowl, one conversation, one person who cared.

— Patricia, Felicia's daughter.

History

Ever since Felicia’s first appearance in Celestial mythology, she has been symbolized with a bowl. The origin of why is uncertain, but considering her most well-known trait is offering a bowl of warm stew to anyone who needs her help, the answer is likely not complicated. Some believe she offered a bowl to the Celestial who made her one. Others believe a bowl of stew was the most universal way she reached out to others and therefore the most recognizable.

by Lilliana Casper

Whatever the origin, the bowl became a staple of any artwork concerning the Celestial of food. From images of her carving them herself to statues of her holding one, she is always accompanied by a bowl. The town of Dernere has an entire gallery dedicated to pictures of her, as well as the famous statue the town is known for.
Interestingly, Dernere’s statue is one of only two in existence that shows Felicia both crouching and offering a bowl to someone specific. Most statues favor her simply holding one, or holding one out in general. Felicia is also rarely pictured crouching, although there are a few where she holds a bowl and looks down into it.

Description

Artists depict Felicia's bowl in a variety of ways. It is always small, just big enough for two hands to hold, yet still able to be carried in one. The oldest appearances of Felicia and her bowl have it made of wood or pottery, a simple pale brown vessel. Later images color it in pure white, usually porcelain or resin. Some planets favor decorated bowls with intricate designs. Even the contents often vary. Statues tend to have empty bowls, while paintings and art fill them with stew, fruit, and other foods.

by Lilliana Casper

Bowl of Tears

Those familiar with Felicia's personal story are aware that she had three daughters after becoming a Celestial. Two died at some point after the Celestial War, but the oldest, Patricia, was also an Eternal. Patricia acted as a messenger between the Celestials, a neutral party who offered help whenever possible. Felicia's relationship with her children has rarely been remarked on but it appears that she was a kind and supportive mother at least to Patricia.
Patricia disappears from legends around the time that the Polaris Collapse occurred. Her name is written on a memorial plaque in Dernere alongside those of her sisters. Also around that time, a number of artworks began to depict Felicia sitting alone and looking into an empty bowl. One particular painting shows tears running down her face and into her bowl. Patricia, her oldest and longest-living child, is now dead.