185

Ivory Tobacco rasp, France, 18th century

Height x width x depth: 23 x 7.7 x 5 cm. Total weight: 164.5 g

Antique elephant ivory tabacco rasp (Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 or Loxodonta africana Blumenbach, 1797) carved in relief.

The body, intended for abrasive use, is entirely adorned with rich decoration: in the centre, a winged cherub sits holding a bow; lower down, within a frame, is a nude female figure, probably Venus, depicted standing on a sphere and wrapped in a light cloth moved by the wind.

The tip, or lower end, is decorated with a plant motif featuring a basket overflowing with fruit, a clear symbol of abundance and prosperity.

On the back is a metal element used to scrape tobacco, inserted into a setting carved in ivory and decorated with two winged cherubs.

Tobacco rasps, widespread in Europe between the 17th and 18th centuries, were created to grate snuff tobacco rolls, known as carottes, in order to reduce them to powder.

Initially simple metal tools, they were soon adorned with fine ivory, wood, or precious metal mountings, depending on the owner’s rank. France became the main center of production, with examples often carved in figurative and allegorical forms, now considered rare and valuable.

The decorative language, which alternates between mythological and naturalistic motifs, fully reflects the Rococo style and the symbolic universe of the European aristocratic elite.

This lot, accompanied by a CITES certificate and expertise issued by Ce.S.Ar Centro studi archeometici, is only available for sale with shipments within the European Union. (expertise Ce.S.Ar. 2025-236)

Provenance:
Count Luigi Rigi Luperti collection.