LIGHTNING CONDUCTOR or AERIAL, 1950's

Used near Aerial lines but slightly higher, to attract lightning away from the aerial.
A direct strike would not protect very much as the voltage would be high enough not only damage the aerial but also anything in the proximity of the wiring, however a near strike would send all received voltages to ground.
In the case of Sheet lightning whole areas can be ionised causing the atmosphere to glow blue in colour, such strikes are generally dissipated and without the conductor wired to ground certain damage would occur.
The base is for display only.
As the comments suggest it could have been a dubious excuse for an Aerial. See also item A1946.

Your comments:

• these were made by Antiference and were meant as aerials. There was still one outside my window when we moved into our current house in 1966. I have a catalogue with this in somewhere
  .......... mr andrew redding, rotherham yorkshire, 26th of July 2022
  
  
• I am inclined to agree about "snake oil" wireless aerial.
  I've not seen this particular model before but recall something very similar at my parent's home when I was a kid round about the mid 1950s.
  In 1953, my grandparents supplied us with a Philips radio (model unknown) and this "aerial" thing was connected to the set via a long length of stranded wire insulated with some kind of bituminised/rubberised fabric very like the insulating tape of that time. Wherever this wire touched the wall indoors, it left a black mark!
  .......... Jozef Bubez, Burgess Hill, 14th of March 2022
  
  
• I thought these were sold as "wireless aerials" by snake oil merchants of the day. Of course, it was the down lead that was doing all the work.
  .......... Keith, Tewkesbury, UK, 29th of November 2009
  
  

A0719