Tear Drop Pião - Brasilia, Brazil

A Pale Wooden Pião from Brasília

This wooden spinning top was gifted to me during a visit to Brasília, Brazil. Turned from pale natural wood, it has a compact teardrop-shaped body decorated with four dark circular lines and fitted with a metal spinning point.

This top is probably made from pau-marfim—Brazilian ivorywood or guatambu. It is a light-colored, fine-textured Brazilian hardwood commonly used for turned objects, toys and decorative work

It’s Teardrop shape makes it very well balanced and easy to throw.

What makes this pião especially meaningful to me is that it was not purchased but offered as a gift. It therefore carries both the memory of Brasília and the personal connection associated with the person who gave it to me.