Tepi

What is tepi and how do we use it?

What is a Tepi and how do we use it? The Tepi is a two-person snuff applicator used for ceremonial rapé sharing in the forest. It is designed for blowing rapé powder into someone else’s nostrils and they come in various models. In the past, indigenous people used long bamboo or reeds for this purpose. The Tepi is now a common and less dramatic alternative for sharing rapé.

To use a Tepi, one person loads it with the right quantity of rapé powder while the other tilts their head back and places one end of the Tepi into their nostril. The first person then blows the powder through the other end of the Tepi, which is repeated for the other nostril. It’s important to use the Tepi gently, adjusting the strength of the blow as needed. After use, the Tepi may be cleaned for hygiene. The Tepi is an essential tool for experiencing the effects of rapé when used correctly.

Different models of tepi applicator

Tepi applicators are a type of traditional snuff administration device that have been used for centuries by indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin for spiritual and medicinal purposes.

Bamboo Tepi: Bamboo tepi applicators are lightweight and durable, making them a popular choice for travelers and those on the go. They are the most common type of Tepi.

Wooden Tepi: Wooden Tepi applicators are often hand-carved from sustainable hardwoods like Palo Santo or Muiracatiara. They can be naturally hollow or drilled.

Metal Tepi: Metal tepi applicators are more modern and hygienic than wooden or bamboo tepis and are often made from stainless steel, brass or copper. When handled well they last forever.

Bone Tepi: Bone tepi applicators are popular among traditionalists and are in general made from animal bones like buffalo, deer or goat.

Take a look at others snuff tools and indigenous handicrafts!

Explore the diversity of rapé tools and tribal handicrafts used by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin. Appreciating these tools and handicrafts made from natural materials, one can gain a deeper respect for the rich cultural heritage and traditions of these communities.

Apurinã Rapé

They live scattered along the banks of the Purus river, the Apurinã share a rich cosmological and ritual complex.

Caboclo Rapé

The people called Caboclos are the fruit of the historical syncretic relations dating back to the post-colonization

Huni Kuin Rapé

The name Huni Kuin means the True People but they are more commonly known as the Kaxinawa.

Katukina Rapé

The Katukina were one if the first tribes to bring the medicines of the forest like Kambo and Rapé to the outside world...

Kuntanawa Rapé

The Kuntanawa call themselves the People of the Palm Fruit, or the People of the Stars. This ethnic group is from the State of Acre....

Nukini Rapé

In the midst of great resistance to the first Peruvian rubber boom the Nukini of Brazil settled in the region that includes the Juruá

Shawãdawa Rapé

Some words from Shawãkaya, our partner from the Shawãdawa nation: "We the Shawãdawa live around the upper Juruá River...

Yawanawá Rapé

Among the sacred medicines of the Yawanawa people the Rumé or Rumã as they call their Rapé has a central place in their culture...

Puyanawa Rapé

Their culture became nearly extinct, while they were forced to work as slaves in the rubber plantations they were catechised...

Shanenawa Rapé

The name Shanenawa is etymologically composed of the words Shane (a type of blue-colored bird) and Nawa...