Osval at English Wikipedia · Public domainGuampa y bombilla del tereré
Guampa
The two objects of tereré: the guampa (horn, wood, leather or aluminium cup) and the bombilla (straw), made in family workshops.
What it is
Almost every Paraguayan home has a guampa and a bombilla, and behind them are family trades handed down through generations. The guampa is made from cow horn, Chaco palo santo wood, leather, stainless steel or aluminium; it is engraved, chiselled or leather-covered to the owner's taste. The bombilla can be plain metal or worked silver. Luque, a city of silversmiths, appears in the press as one of the centres of this work, and there are guampa engravers in Areguá too.
History
The tradition comes from pre-Columbian Guaraní communities, who used small vessels to cool down with water in the heat. Today tereré supports a small craft economy across the country.
Did you know…?
A Tereré Expo in Asunción in 2019 brought together dozens of artisans from different regions, and the Instituto Paraguayo de Artesanía places the guampa within its metals-and-horn branch.
Where to buy
At Instituto Paraguayo de Artesanía fairs, at Luque's municipal fairs and in municipal markets. If you want a horn or palo santo guampa, ask about the material: aluminium and steel ones exist too.