Can anyone help identify this?

My wife and I found this a few weeks ago while antiquing in Northern NJ and can't figure out what it is. We are using it as a candle holder / housing. But we've both been curious as to what it is or what it was used for. I tried google image search and she checked all her normal antiquing websites and neither of us found anything similar. Any idea what it is or where I could go to try to search out what it is? Thanks.

 

Never seen that critter before, but my mother had something that was more or less the same idea -- hers spouted petunias every which way!

 

Hi,
How big is it? On my Aunt's house there were big copper things in the downspouts from the gutters. They were to keep the downspouts from becoming clogged. They were about 8" wide.
greg

 

Flower frog ?

 

Looks like part of a garden lantern,missing the top and base.

 

Strainer from the hose end of an industrial pump. It stops the pump clogging with debris larger than it can handle.

This is not authoritive but possible. I have used portable medium duty pumps at the boatyard with similar but more modern strainers.

 

How about turning it over and using it as a cap to a chimney or roof vent ?

 

Thanks everyone. I was kind of thinking it was something used outside like a couple of people mentioned. I'm starting to lean towards a garden lantern (missing either a top or bottom piece or both) when i google imaged using that phrase I found some things thats looked similar. I don't think it for a gutter or storm drain, it's pretty heavy cast iron or bronze and it is open on the top and the bottom. And it is a pump strainer, it has 6 sides of a couple of the sides or too decorative to work as a strainer. Thanks again everyone.

 

Easy to tell if it cast iron or bronze. Apart from texture and colour, iron is magnetic.

It does seem absurdly over-built for a lantern.

 

How big is it?

 

If the part on the ground is flat, I think it might make a nice little outside table or plant stand if it were turned upside down.

 

Always forget about using a magnet. It is cast iron. It's about 8" x 8" x 8".

After doing some more research my wife and I concluded that it is part of an ornamental Japanese garden lamp (it's missing the top and maybe the bottom). One of the 6 sides is open, which makes me think it was used to allow someone to insert a candle or light it. Thanks again for all the input.