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Yerba mate gourd Item Info
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- Title:
- Yerba mate gourd
- Date:
- 1823-1909
- Description:
- A yerba mate gourd is a hollowed, dried calabash vessel traditionally used in South America for preparing and drinking the communal herbal infusion known as mate.
- Marks/Inscriptions :
- Unmarked calabash gourd
- Geographies:
- Argentina; Pennsylvania, United States.
- Material:
- Cabalash
- Provenance:
- Collected by Abraham Fisher, an Irish Quaker who lived in rural Argentina before later settling in Pennsylvania.
- Material History:
- Used in 19th-century Argentina as a traditional vessel for drinking yerba mate and fostering community gatherings, this gourd reflects everyday social customs in Argentina. Later brought to Pennsylvania by the Fisher family, it preserves their connection to Argentine life.
- Quaker connection:
- Brought to the collection by the Quaker Fisher-Brinton family.
- Object Story, Consumption and Use:
- This small yerba mate gourd, carved from a hollowed calabash, appears simple at first. Its smooth sides and darkened interior show years of steady use. Once held daily in someone’s hand in Argentina, it still reflects a shared ritual that shaped social life across the region. Mate drinking began with the Indigenous Guarani, who viewed the plant as a gift that brought people together. By the 19th century, it had spread across the River Plate and become part of everyday life. Gauchos, the cowhands of the pampas, drank from vessels like this one while working outdoors. Passing a single gourd around a group showed trust and equality. This gourd was crafted from the dried shell of the Lagenaria siceraria plant. Its wide opening and worn surface suggest repeated filling, pouring, and handling. Unlike ornate versions owned by wealthy families, this is a practical tool meant for daily use. The stains inside are the result of thousands of infusions over time. The Fisher-Brinton family, Quakers who lived in rural Argentina in the early 1870s before settling in Pennsylvania, preserved this gourd among their belongings. Its presence in their collection reflects the everyday experiences and cultural traditions they carried with them across continents.
- Research Sources:
- - Fisher, Abraham (1823–1909) - Brinton Family Papers - Sarreal, Julia J. S. Yerba Mate: The Drink That Shaped a Nation.
- Type:
- Image;StillImage
- Format:
- image/jpg
- Accession Number:
- SC-FHL-R-1715
Source
- Preferred Citation:
- "Yerba mate gourd", From Local to Global - Consumption and the Quaker Body, Swarthmore College, https://swat-ds.github.io/material-culture/material-culture/items/mc013.html