Brass Incense Burner

Any suggestions on country of origin?
Thanks

 

Cigarette and ashtray?
Looking again, might be a match holder, the crosshatch side being the striker.
What's the size of the ball in the center?
Would several unfiltered cigarettes fit, or would it hold wooden matches better?

With the lion feet, England. - I say that because I have a planter with those feet and it is marked England.

 

That's got to be it clutteredcloset49!

 

Thanks for the suggestions.
The bowl is almost 2" deep. It can hold cigarrettes but matches are too small for it. Unless there are jumbo size. There is black residue on the inside like from something being burned.

 

Things made for commercial sale in 20th c or later would have country of origin marked. Feet are unevenly spaced resulting in one always being well off the table. Maybe a school shop project as a number of different techniques are involved. The knurling looks like manual lathe work. Either the Sphere isn't level to plate or the belt of knurling isn't parallel to plane of top of sphere, I can't tell 4 sure, in either case a one-off is indicated. Country of origin is country where it was purchased and I don't have that info.

 

My first impulse would be India. It's their construction, and the lion feet would make perfect sense.

 

I had to look up knurling. My new word of the day via the antiques board. Thanks, Spring!

The paw feet had to have been made in a mold, wouldn't they....? Or is it conceivable those are handmade, too?

Does anyone else think it looks like a flying saucer - UFO in picture number 1?

 

Paw feet are cast. These look like the lost wax process was used.

 

Might just be built up tarnish.

It might be 1950s-60s, if so that is 50 to 60 years of the outside being polished and not the inside.

Then again, someone could have burnt something in it.
What does it smell like?

 

Those feet scream England to me as well. Some kind of smoking thing. If it had a lid and is large enough, it could be for pipe tobacco. A pipe would rest nicely on the rim and the knurling is spot-on for match striking. Someone may have burnt something inside but that shape does not really lend itself to be an incense burner. I imagine the reason it is off-kilter is because it is bent.

 

Spring's daffynition of "off-kilter" = Scottsman who wears trousers.