Museum Collections

Largely unknown in the United States before the 1940s, yerba mate, an infusion made from a plant indigenous to Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, and Brazil, was a common drink to many South Americans. Its introduction during the first half of the nineteenth century was inspired by increased American diplomatic ties with newly independent South American nations. Unlike tea, mate required a specialized cup and straw with an attached strainer that were commonly passed from person to person. By the mid-nineteenth century, class or wealth was communicated through the type of cup or pot used. Reports from South America noted that the "more . . . refined portion of the population partake of the infusion from a maté, or teapot, formed of silver or other materials, by means of a tin or silver pipe, called a bombilla, perforated with holes at one end." This Neoclassical-style set belonged to Oliver J. Hayes (1802-1861), a New York City shipping merchant.