A silver utensil with a long skinny handle and bulbous end with small holes.
A silver utensil with a long skinny handle and bulbous end with small holes.
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Unknown Maker, South American

Drinking Straw with Filter (Bombilla)
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, South American

Culture

South American, Possibly, Peruvian, or, Argentine

Title

Drinking Straw with Filter (Bombilla)

Year

1800s

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

silver

Dimensions

Length: 21.3 cm (8 3/8 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

WO stamped

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of the Estate of Elizabeth T. Casey

Object Number

1989.045.12.502

Type

Exhibition History

Trading Earth
Ceramics, Commodities, and Commerce
Apr 09, 2022 – Jul 20, 2025

Label copy

Tea is served and consumed in many ways. Teapots may have small holes in the body by the spout to strain out loose tea leaves. In South America, straws with perforated filters are used for drinking mate, a caffeine-rich infusion similar to tea. A double-spouted teapot ensures that no one needs to wait when sharing tea for two.

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, South American
Drinking Straw with Filter (Bombilla), 1800s
Silver
Length: 21.3 cm (8 3/8 inches)
Gift of the Estate of Elizabeth T. Casey 1989.045.12.502

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