A major clue is the presence of a square 1/4"-to-3/8" hole in the object's base... which fits the typical square iron shank in an antique doorknob/doorlatch assembly. The photo of some porcelain doorknobs' back shows what Creskol was talking about. The other photos show the "corresponding" square hole for the knob's square shaft in a doorlatch assembly. When you see this size of square hole, it is usually doorknob/doorlatch related.