Unknown Makers mark and Item HELP PLEASE

Hi there i picked this up some years back but I've always had a good vibe from it , Its about 7" inches X 4" inches, My 1st guess was a sugar dish from a tea set, It looks as though its hand painted the stud handle and the rim of the lid appears to be brass or bronze, I've scoured high and low online for the makers mark (i'm certain it's a letter A but I've also scoured the letter R as well just to be sure) to no avail I've asked a few dealer pals but no-one has any info , I stay in Scotland so it is possibly British but possibly not , would really appreciate any help at all , Thank you fellow hoarders.R

 

Looks to me more like a part of a dresser set -- for powder, or to keep one's whatsises in.

 

Pretty big for whatsises, maybe thingamebobs?
It is a bit big for hairpins, and most other dressing table things require a specific shape and size.
Unusual shape and size for a sugar dish, but you never know.

 

Welcome, Richard. I'm leaning towards this as being a newish decorator item. The attached metal pineapple finial strikes me as a device used to make an item appear older than it is. That and the brass edging are not something typically found on older pieces. The painting is also a bit haphazard. The shape is not one commonly encountered among older items. As noted, the shape is a bit out of the ordinary for sugar and it's a bit large to be a dresser item. It would look nice on an entry, sofa, or coffee table but really doesn't serve a practical function. My guess is that the piece is pottery as opposed to porcelain. It would be heavy and thick walled.

I've also searched for the mark and come to a dead end. Red, prominent marks dead center like this are not normally seen on older items. Again, I think it's an attempt to give the item an older vibe than it actually has. I hope I'm wrong but it just doesn't strike me as an older piece. It's a nice piece, just not old. We'll see what others have to say.
Don

 

Thanks for quick replies, Glad i found this site it's great. RL