Name/Title
Snuff RaspEntry/Object ID
1978.10.1Description
Shoe-shaped grater. The grater has two hinges for two separate compartments. One end of the device contains a triangular-shaped ring.Use
Known as a snuff rasp, this device has a compartment for holding raw tobacco at the top. Using the rasp, the user filed the tobacco into a powder-like substance known as snuff, which was stored in the longer, thinner compartment spanning much of the base.Context
European explorers observed Indigenous peoples in the Americas using tobacco for both medicinal and ceremonial purposes. These explorers returned home with samples of the herb, which quickly gained popularity as a recreational stimulant, eventually becoming a cash crop for later European settlers in the New World. Snuff tobacco, a form of tobacco ground into a fine powder for inhalation, is taken through the nose rather than smoked.
Snuff was enjoyed by both men and women, as the ability to afford tobacco—and increasingly ornate snuff rasps and boxes—indicated sophistication and wealth. Snuff has since declined in popularity due to the rise of cigarettes.Dimensions
Height
1 inWidth
2-1/4 inLength
7-3/4 in
