This month's mystery item is a porcelain counterweight, circa the early 1900s. It was used in conjunction with a hanging light and allowed the lamp to be raised or lowered, with the amount of lead shot inside the weight determining the height of the lamp.

The hoop that is attached to the bottom of our counterweight (above) would have housed the cord. Other models sport a porcelain built-in cord guide, like this one (right). If you're interested in seeing a broader variety of these cool counterweights, check out this site.