# Silver "straw"?



## Toxic_Waste (Jul 28, 2005)

This item was handed down to my Italian grandmother from the belongings/collection of her elderly aunt, and I have had it for more than 30 years, never knowing what it was. The end of it has a chamber that opens up and has tiny holes in it like a tea infuser, and the length of it is a straw for sipping (I guess).

 The only time I have seen something like this was in National Geographic when some South American Indians were wearing miniature versions of something like this around their necks, while working in the coca leaf industry.

 I am supposing that a person would insert a concoction of tea leaves or perhaps coca leaves and then adding it to hot water for an infusion. It does not look like it's an opium pipe. Any help here?


----------



## Toxic_Waste (Jul 28, 2005)

I just realized I put this in the wrong forum, being that it isn't really a bottle. It IS a container, but it probably should have been in another forum. Sorry 'bout that.


----------



## KentOhio (Jul 29, 2005)

You sure know how to come up with noggin scratchers, don't you? Your explanation sounds good to me. What is the writing on it near the top of the holes?


----------



## Bluebelle (Jul 29, 2005)

I believe it is a sipper for yerba mate', a South American herbal drink. Long ago had an acquaintance from Argentina and he had one, and they usually go with a bowl that the herb is prepared or steeped in, made from basically a gourd of some kind and often decorated ornately with silver.  You can see a picture of a set at

  http://www.noborders.net/mate/


----------



## Toxic_Waste (Jul 29, 2005)

The words on the sipper are "Alpaca" (the type of silver) on one side, and the other says something like "Industria Argentina" (letters are kind of garbled).

 Looks like this object is, indeed, what they call a "bombilla" from Argentina. Thanks, Bluebelle and KentOhio, for the interest and the clue. Now I finally know what it is after all this time!


----------



## tristian bottle (Sep 21, 2005)

could be a wistel[8|]


----------



## diginit (Sep 21, 2005)

Right on the mark, Bluebelle


----------

