This object intrigues me and bugs the hell out of me!
I'm thinking now that it could be a Coptic 'hand cross', used in blessings and processions. It's fairly crudely carved, so maybe a rural village priest made it.
The other thing it may be, along the same lines, is as a ritual object used to handle or hold the vellum prayer scrolls, some of which are only a few inches wide.
alternatively, it's a Kenyan Salad server..
