This ivory snuff grater is carved with a figure of Hercules draped in the Nemean lion striking with a club at the rearing Hydra on the left. Above this panel is a rosette between two monsters composed of an eagle's head joined to a dolphin's tail.
A snuff rasp was used like a nutmeg grater for grating dried tobacco into snuff. A perforated metal section was fixed inside the ivory cover for grating. Snuff taking was a popular pastime in France for the wealthy and fashionable. There was the rumour that a regular dose of snuff would protect against the plague. The tobacco was grated from the solid tobacco roll known as a "carotte".
The ivory carving on these rasps is often rather crude, while the subjects depicted, often mythological figures, or exotic ladies, are typical of decorative objects made from a rare and costly material to be sold as lucury good.