Posted 9 years ago
across03
(1 item)
My sisters and I are in the process of divvying up my mohter silver and we came across this interesting piece. In the photo, the top picture is a tea strainer spoon but the one on the bottom is a mystery. It is hollow, with sort of a blow-hole on one end, and the other end has several small holes. I think it may have been used to blow into one's cream or milk to froth it.
Does anyone know if that's what it is and if not, what is it?
Yerba mate bombilla!
http://www.silvercollection.it/pagina190.html
Oh my gosh, that's excatly right! Can you elaborate on how these are used and to what point they date back to? I am assuming that it was my grandmothers and that its from the early 1900s. But it could also be from the other side of the family which included relatives that were enbassadors to Tripoli in the mid 1800s.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Alpaca-Argentina-Industria-Yerba-Mate-Tea-Gourd-Bombilla-Straw-800-18K-/221710333339
Hehe, you have a start to your research now ;-)
Welcome to CW!
Wow. Thank you, kyratango, for the insight!! I read through the link and see that it is of South American influence. I also had relatives that traveled in SA extensively, so that solves the mystery!!! My sisters will be pleased (of course, since we're divyying up the silver, I think I'll choose this piece now!!) - we've been coming across this piece for years without figuring out what it is!
Perhaps you have the gourd/cup somewhere thinking it is a vase and now know it goes with the bombilla :-)