need help to identify a vessel

hello, I bought a set as shown in photo, but really have no idea what it is. someone told me it is a pipe
please check.

 

It is a traditional gourd cup for serving yerba mate, a stimulating herbal drink from South America. The utensil (bombilla) serves as a spoon and a filtering straw to drink the beverage through.

 

it's a very nice set...
but whomever told u it's a pipe.....is not to be trusted..!

 

The metal on some of these gourds and bombillas is silver. I don't know if it is on yours?

 

It could be "white silver" which is alloy of Sn/Ni

 

I agree, it doesn't look like silver on the photos, but it is always worth checking. Possibly nickel silver/alpacca, which is an alloy of copper, tin and zinc.

 

I think that is a tea straw, maybe silver plated.

And a Mate tea gourd. They're to drink Mate out of, from Argentina.

 

Nathan, did you read the other posts?
They are also used in Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil, btw. (Hope I'm not missing a country)

 

Oh My phone showed 0 comments. Ignore me

 

Never!

 

Some of the mate pots are made from bulls' testicles.

 

To add machismo to the owners tea experience?

 

I guess.

 

Ya have to catch 'em first.

Debora

 

I wish I could unlearn this