I don't know what it is, but I bet it was silverplated at one time. Part of an epergne (sp?), maybe????

Possible meant to hold a glass flower holder?

good guess, Antiquesilver.
And I agree on silverplated. There was more on the bottom and perhaps a glass bowl on top, that fit down to the 'mark" you showed.
Linda c

Huh, interesting.
I've not seen - or at least paid attention - to these.
Here's the first I found that has a metal base and an insert.
RE: it being silverplated, do you mean the whole thing? Or just parts? I can see maybe the 'pewter/brittania' gray parts, there is some shine to the outermost edge. But there's no evidence of any residue anywhere on the body like it wore off. What I'm trying to say is the metal is quite clean as-is. (Tho something did throw me a bit. The base looks brass, but if you look at the underside of the base, it's got patina like copper and under the patina is both gold and hints of copper. Thought that was odd.) Unless somebody did something to strip the plate off intentionally?

to say thanks for the leads!
Sheesh.
One of those mentalpause moment's dlm was just referring to elsewhere :o

What? Who me? Did I say something? Sorry, can't remember :-/

Sad to say, a few years back, it was the "thing" to buy worn items out of copper and Britannia which had worn silver plate, and strip the silver off....and have the silver to sell and also a "copper coffee pot with pewter trim".
I suspect this piece was a victim.
Un fortunatly I can't easily find a picture....
Also some copper,brass and britannia items were also chrome plated.

Kerosene lamp, missing fuel container below and missing glass shade on top?

I like it unplated :-)

KarinL

Its too tall for a pencil holder. Could it be a holder for artifical flowers? But then why the hole all the way through? Maybe pieces are missing.

Let's suppose it was fitted with a plastic liner and flowers were loaded therein. A litle water in the liner and you have a bouquet for a day.
wehn the boquet is finished, grab the liner and flowers and pull out and discard - not fuss, no mess.

I say a candle holder.

I think it's part of an epergne, and may have had a glass insert. It looks Deco to me.

I think it is part of a lamp base and the pics are actually upside down.

Did some reading, seem they (whomever 'they' were, because I haven't found why they did it) not only stripped silver off, sometimes it was actually applied over antique pewter *huge gasp from an antique pewter lover*.

I tend to lean toward exactly what ideefixe said, so far.

sasafras, I turned it upside down, stared at it, poked it, don't think it would work. Copper is super light, brass end super heavy, so upside down one poke sends it wobbling. ;)