With the help for Paul Ziemer and Jim Dombrowski i now know that this is a bushing insulator. funny thing is that http://www.peninsulators.org/Bushing/index.html has lots of info on these, and i view the site all the time, just never clicked on bushings.

thanks a bunch Guys, you helped me clear up if this was a waste of investment or not, and now i see that it is from this field of insulators and i am happy to add it to my collection.

I recently purchased this on eBay, i know some of you would have seen this and hoped that no one would get burned on it. I have seen one of these at a local collectors place (I'm quite sure it is the same) so i figured i'd try a low bid, and i got it. the only marking on it is a backwards upside down 5 at the bottom of the skirt. it is placed beside a CD 164 for comparison. 7 1/8 inches high, 2 1/2 inches wide at the widest ring and the pinhole is threadless and is 1 3/8 in diameter. the person who had it listed said he could not find any information on it, so i figured some of the experts on ICON and NIA may have some insight.