[nett]

That thing is an early prototype Flowbee™

You are missing the internal parts. The early Flowbee™ was a simple a dynamo used for cutting hair. Yep, you are missing the crank, magnets, and copper wire. The Barber would turn the crank with the customers hand on the ball. The hair would stand on end and he's start cutting. I'm quite sure it's a valuable keepsake and does belong in some obscure museum.