For incense?

I wondered about that too but the space at the bottom of the base is only about 3/8 inch in diameter and the slots would let ash fall through. Birds eye view.

Much of the incense used in the 60's and 70's was made as a cone which would fit nicely in that spot. Although stick incense was found in Asian type stores the cone shape ones were found in early head shops. Later the sticks began being sold by them at least in this area.

I'll bet there is a mark on the bottom with the name of a silver company....and maybe the words "Quadruple plate" or "triple plate".
I think you are missing an essential glass part....which would have made it a covered pot pourri holder.

Olchick, you are right!!! Thank you!! I have had this thing for 25 years, i think my cleaners may have turned it upside down. I had so much old stuff that I never gave it much thought until now when i was packing up some more stuff for goodwill. I’ll be keeping this.

I am a child of the 60s, might even have some cone incense around the house somewhere.

There are no markings on it that i can find. It’s heavy for its size, looks cast, maybe iron or could even be bronze. Don’t know how to tell for sure. There is no rust on it. Difinitely no silver on it.

Not incense....and it doesn't need a liner...of you turn it the right side up...;-)
Potpourri....and I still bet it's very tarnished quadruple plate.
Iorn will hold a magnet....bronze likely not depending on the alloy...silver plate....again depending on the base...but nost likely it won't attract a magnet.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Victorian+pot+pourri+holder&rlz=1C1PQHB_enUS634US642&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiku_DCjfnZAhXCt1kKHZKLBfkQ_AUICygC&biw=1404&bih=618

Magnet doesn’t stick to it and i tried some silver polish on the bottom. Only thing that came off was a little dirt, then nothing. When i’ve Polished silver in the past, quite a bit of junk came off it if there was a lot of tarnish.

Sorry for the typos, I’m on a new iPad keyboard and it has a mind of its own.

How long should i rub it with polish before i conclude it’s not silver? Or should i use something else on it besides silver polish?

A while....quadruple is notably hard to polish. There are tales abounding of replating spots that are given a piece to replat that just needs polishing.
BUT...quad plate or triple plate is usually marked as such. Still thinking there was another piece to the set....maybe one with markings on it.

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.antiques.com%2Fvendor_item_images%2Fori_978-34426-782583-Art-Nouveau-Incense-Burner-http-www-trocadero-com-Smokey-items-782583-picture1.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.antiques.com%2Fclassified%2F1055008%2FArt-Nouveau-Incense-Burner&docid=oeeistF2b1S8dM&tbnid=aT1NZPcH_o4s0M%3A&vet=10ahUKEwjC5aDJ3vnZAhXqxlkKHcdSBnUQMwg8KAAwAA..i&w=496&h=800&client=safari&bih=666&biw=1024&q=Art%20Nouveau&ved=0ahUKEwjC5aDJ3vnZAhXqxlkKHcdSBnUQMwg8KAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8

Found it. I scrubbed and scrubbed and came to something that does resemble pewter with some sort of brownish glazed varnish or something over it, which i now coming off. Not sure what to do with it. Maybe reseal it somehow. It’s identical except for the finish.

http://www.antiques.com/classified/1055008/Art-Nouveau-Incense-Burner

I wonder if i can go over it with rub n buff or something to make. It look more. Like the original.

The description says brass....what are you scrubbing with? Do you have any bar keeper's Friend? If so put a little on a cloth and rub on the underside and see if any brass reveals itself.
it's looking better and better!!
And no rub and buff....that's just a colored wax...you have metal....clean it....and polish it up...unless you want a patina of sorts.It sure looks like the one pictured....I can't believe they made it in brass and in dirty gray stuff....unless that dealer is lying, it should polish up. Can you find any marking?

Still hven’t found any markings. Ended up with. Dull gray where the varnish or whatever came off. I tried bon ami powder and silver polish. The more i rub, the smoother and shinier the metal gets, but it doesn’t get any lighter in color. Pretty much pewter colored. I’m going to see if I can get the rest of the brownish tinted coating off and then polish the heck out of it and see what I have. May end up at good will in the end anyway.

Well the description did say pewter and brass....so maybe it came both ways....and your's is the pewter.

Have you tried a brass polish? Silver polish won't work if it's not silver. And it would be a shame to ruin pewter by trying to polish it with Bon Ami.

http://www.pewtersociety.org/collecting/care-and-conservation

Here it is after some vigorous rubbing with brass polish. I think it is pewter. There is still the problem of the paint or whatever is still on most of it. I don’t suppose there is a safe and easy way to remove varnish or lacquer or whatever it is? Need to get some more brass polish, my bottle of brasso is about 30 years old and almost empty. The black oxidation keeps coming, though, with the brasso.

I think ti's pewter....and looking great!!