Sterling Cigar Ashtray

Picked this up today in my garage sale travels along with some other silver, gold & palladium rings (see last pic) I think this was made by William B Keer & Co. and sold by Theodore B. Starr New York but would love to figure out a date (other than sometimes between 1890's and 1924) but the only other markings other than the names and hatchet w 3 x's are a number 125 and Sterling. Perhaps someone out there can more accurately date this. (total spent was 125 on all with the weight of the ashtray alone being 214 grams)
I have never seen an ashtray like this made for cigars.

 

I wonder if that's an ashtray at all >>????

 

Strange thing, this. You certainly would not want to rest a lit cigar in this sideways orientation.

And why does it have a handle like that?

As for the markings and date, I have not found anything that would significantly narrow the range you've already found. But the odd thing, is that all of the examples of Kerr's mark I have found only have 2 Xs, not 3.

 

It's a shaving mug / bowl...........

 

Ah! That makes much more sense!

 

I thought so......

 

That shaving bowl sure makes sense now that I think about it, Duh and I smoke cigars!!! here is the link to the Keer markings at bottom of page.
http://www.925-1000.com/ax_kerr.html
And here is a close up of my mark.
Thanks all!

 

I didn't mean to raise doubt that the mark is Kerr's, coryea. I was just wondering whether having 3 Xs vs having 2 might mean something useful about the date.

Rainwater's illustration on Kerr only has 2, as does the pictured mark on sterlingflatwarefashions.

 

There was nothing I could find to date the thing other than the association between Kerr and Theodore which leaves a large range, I wonder if the 2 X kerr mark was an earlier mark with the 3 x coming along later? well back to the search!! Thanks all.