Ok, here is a picture of the item in question.
It’s a decorative household item, looks to be made of brass and colored glass with a marble base. It is about 2’ high, and has no lamp wiring, or signs that it ever had wiring in it. It does appear to look like a set of scales, but has no moving parts, and I would think that putting uneven weight on the arms would cause it to tip over.
Junk that serves nothing but a decorative purpose.
It probably had two brass bowls hanging on each end with three chains, like the Justice symbol.
I’d say candle holder but it doesn’t look like there’s a place for candles.
Something to hang jewelry from? Or bananas, while they ripen? 
I can’t tell for sure but is there a place at the top to put an ashtray?
It could be an ashtray stand.
Non-functional replica of a scale. If you look at the top, there is a vertical needle that, in a functional scale, indicates right or left. There were probably hanging bowls for display of wax fruit, or perhaps plants.
I vote for the jewelry hanger. Or maybe necklaces on one side and bananas on the other?
Concur, decorative scale.
I’m a little concerned about those gang markings in the concrete, though… 
Candelabra with the seats for two candles gone missing. Either screw on, or snapped off, in my opinion!
My first thought was scale, but it’s missing the pans hanging from chains.
Thing
Thing
What is this thing?
-Dr. Seuss
decorative scale. the indicator needle at the top gives it away. pans are absent.
Thankfully it’s not my neighborhood.
I’m leaning towards a decorative scale myself, though I’m holding out hope that it’s something weird and purposeful.
Murder weapon in a Columbo episode.
Oh, one more thing…
Looks more like it’s Mrs. Peacock in the Conservatory…
It can’t be for hanging anything heavier than jewelry. If you tried to hang bananas, for example, it would tip over as soon as you had an unequal amount on the two sides.
A decorative candle holder designed to look like a scale.
Missed the edit window, but it’s definitely a decorative scale. When it had the hanging baskets, you probably had to be careful about what you put in it. Try an image search of “decorative scale” and you’ll see many similar ones like this.
