Looks like turned brass to me. It's nice.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Just my opinion, but it looks like urns used for cremated remains, or urns used on headstones, to hold flowers. Many of those pieces disappeared from cemeteries when thieves started taking them to scrapyards. Maybe it was removed from a grave site for safe-keeping. I hope that suggestion isn't offensive.

I don't think it's a funerary urn....they had a different sort of top usually.
What does the bottom look like? There appears to be a dent on one side? What's that? how big it is....how thick? Is it spun or cast?
It's not new that's for sure!
Linda C

Reminds me of my grandfather's spittoon.

LOL! He must have had good aim, colleen!

Guess he did...

The kids in the class I taught used soda cans as spittoons. They did have to get pretty close. Maybe they weren't supposed to be chewing in class and that's why the subtle cans...

Not configured like a spittoon....
As I said....he would need very good aim!

Here is a link that might be useful: Spittoon.

Can anyone tell me what this is or make out the marking on the back. Seems like maybe brass and looks to be a sconce that you can put something in.