South American mate gourd, the mouth decorated with silver plated rim, complete with 2-piece mate straw/bombilla, 20th century
Mate is a traditional South American herbal tea drink that is caffeine-rich infused, made by soaking dried yerba mate leaves in hot water. It is traditionally served in a round container made from a calabash gourd (also called the mate) with a metal straw complete with a strainer (called the bombilla). Today it is sold in tea bags and sometimes served cold. Native to Paraguay, the north-east of Argentina and southern Brazil, the popularity of mate spread with colonization across the Southern Cone countries (Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile) as well as southern Brazil and the Bolivian Chaco. Mate is also popular in Lebanon and Syria where it was brought by immigrants from Argentina.
Size: 3 1/4 h x 3 1/2 w x 3 1/2 d
C21381
