There's a similar looking item on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/BUTTER-DISH-DRAINER-INSERT-REPLACEMENT-ANTIQUE-/180661519000?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a10440298

Nancy


On Fri, 3 Jun 2011 20:45:44 -0400, Michael Bathrick
<[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> The first one looks like an insert to a butter dish - you'd put butter 
> and crushed ice to keep it firm - the ice would melt and drain through 
> the holes to the dish underneath.  Hard to be sure though.
> 
> Mike
> 
> On 6/3/2011 4:39 PM, Barbara Voss wrote:
>> Dear Hist Arch'ers,
>>
>> My students and I have come across some unusual ceramics from the Market
>> Street Chinatown in San Jose; we've been unable to identify them with
the
>> standard references. Perhaps some of you have seen them elsewhere?
>>
>> Pictures are posted on our project website:
>> http://marketstreet.stanford.edu/
>>
>> They are:
>> 1. A perforated, oval-shaped whiteware dish
>> 2. A porcelaneous stoneware rice bowl with an unusual and very stylized
>> underglaze motif
>> 3. An eight-sided porcelain cup with a floral overglaze motif.
>>
>> Any assistance would be gratefully appreciated - thanks so much
>>
>> --Barb
>>
>> -----------------------------------------------
>> Barbara L. Voss, Associate Professor
>> Department of Anthropology
>> 450 Serra Mall, Bldg. 50, Main Quad
>> Stanford University
>> Stanford CA 94305-2034
>> 650 723-3421 (dept office)
>> 650 725-0605 (fax)
>> [log in to unmask]