Antique Argentine Yerbe Mate Bombilla With Gold-and-Silver Plating

Details

Description

Offered is an antique Argentine yerba mate bombilla, featuring a classic gold- and silver-plated construction with a pierced spoon-style filter. … Read more Offered is an antique Argentine yerba mate bombilla, featuring a classic gold- and silver-plated construction with a pierced spoon-style filter. This elegant bombilla reflects traditional South American mate culture, where craftsmanship and durability were essential for daily use.

The elongated shaft and finely perforated bulb indicate a quality piece designed to properly filter yerba mate leaves while allowing smooth sipping. The contrast between silver-toned metal and warm gold plating at the mouthpiece adds refinement and visual interest, suggesting this was a higher-quality example rather than a utilitarian export piece.

Bombillas like this were commonly produced in Argentina in the late 19th to early 20th century, often by skilled silversmiths serving both urban and rural customers. Such pieces are closely associated with gaucho culture, social rituals, and the long-standing mate tradition that remains central to Argentine identity today.

Dimensions

Width: 0.75 inches

Depth: 0.25 inches

Length: 7.25 inches

Materials

Silver-plated metal

Gold-plated accent at mouthpiece

Pierced spoon filter tip


Historical Context

Yerba mate consumption dates back centuries, adopted from Indigenous Guaraní traditions and later embraced throughout Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil. By the late 1800s, bombillas evolved from simple reeds into metal instruments, often silver-plated or partially gilded, signaling hospitality, status, and personal pride. Antique bombillas are now sought after as cultural artifacts, decorative objects, and additions to silver or Latin American collections. See less