Does this Mystery Artifact Raise a Red Flag?

Good afternoon! 

Are you ready for a new mystery artifact? Here’s this week’s challenge!

It’s a metal artifact. It has two sections, the first being a wide base that has been painted red. 

 One side of this base part has a small handle attached. There's also a twist-on cap on this part, opposite the handle.  

There's also a sticker label that should be on the front here, where the red is a lighter shade.

The second part is the narrower top section, also made of metal, but without a paint job. 

This section has a removable cover, and under the cover, it looks like this:

Lastly, towards the bottom of the upper section of the artifact, a wire is connected on either side, which extends to a hook at the end. 

What is your purpose, little hook?

Just so you know the scale we’re talking about, here’s the measurements:  It is about 8 inches tall, the diameter of the red base part is about inches and the diameter of the top part is 3 1/4 inches. The wire is 8 inches from its connection to the artifact to the end of the hook. 

Do you have a guess as to what this mystery could be? We always like to hear to your guesses, so don't be shy!  You can comment here, on our Facebook page, tweet the answer at us, or comment on Instagram! Of course, you can always take a look in person and see all the great stuff happening at the museum!