Chinese blue and white - What is this / maker's marks?

Can anyone identify what this is exactly and perhaps help with the maker's marks? I thought it might be an incense stick holder but its quite big (15cm high, 14cm diameter) and it can't be a bowl or anything that holds any type of fluid because it has a hole in the middle. I just can't think what it might be (let alone decipher the four character marks!). Thanks for your help!

Looks Chinese for the Eastern market but might be from another Asian country. It may be modern.
You might find the mark on the Gotheborg chinese marks website

I am no expert on Chinese pottery markings but I can tell you what I do know.

Photo #2 is upside down. Rotate it 180 degrees to read the characters as follows.....

Top & bottom read 'Great Ming Dynasty' (da Ming)
Right reads 'made for' (nian zhi)
Left is a puzzler. Presumably this is who it was made for. However, it is not an Emperor's mark and indeed there are usually no Emperor marks on 4-character stamped Chinese pottery.
I have only seen this character once before and that was on a 6-character example from the Longqing reign (1567-1572).

I will keep searching as I am now intrigued. If I have no success I will just have to ask the missus who knows everything and can read Chinese.

Wife back from shopping.

Corrected me as usual.

The characters mean "made in the year of the Great Ming Dynasty"

Thanks, Coalman!

I don't suppose you have any idea WHAT it is do you? I've gone with incense stick/thin candle holder but I've been asking around since posting this and no one has a clue. I still haven't been able to find anything similar either. It's starting to bug me!

Please show the bottom. It would help to know if it the bottom also has a hole, is solid, or is totally hollow. Right now, it looks like something fit on to the top.

Yes, we need to see your bottom.

It appears far too big for an incense holder.

It is bugging me also.

Wife checking up now with China contacts.