My clean copper basket - thank you!

Glad the suggestion helped, it looks gorgeous. I still haven't cleaned my copper tray.

All of the hard work was worth it

Just realised j52 that it has a tin inner which has 3 little holes in!

DD3 has just asked if she can have it when I die as copper is trendy. I hope it will be out of fashion before I die!

Lovely! Well worth the effort. ?

Oh it is really lovely - well worth your effort!

It looks lovely!

Someone suggested hot coals to go to a dining room for keeping food warm so similar, J52.

Just had a closer look and noticed the wood/China part of the handle. This not to conduct heatso that it could be carried.
My nearest guess is that it either took hot food such as baked potatoes or chestnuts to the table, or contained hot coals and something was put on it to keep warm.

A mystery.

It looks lovely, well worth the effort.
I don't really know its purpose,but metal objects were on feet usually because they contained hot things. Your basket may have had a glass container at one time.
It does look like a mini version of an ornate coal bucket, which would have had a tin liner.
There was a fashion in the 1900s to make little ornate versions of everyday objects it could date from then.

I like the plant, as well!

Thank you. Silver, brass and copper cleaning was my job as a child and I hated it - this time it was worthwhile!

No, but it's very pretty.