Well,, there is no Martin here !! Its mart and I am a she not a he !! We are all here as volunteers with no association to the Kovels website or business !! If you fail to provide information we must ask questions !! Have you ever seen an inkwell without a lid to prevent evaporation ?? I have not but the slots in your item say it is not an inkwell !! Look at some of the older ashtray`s and ask which is more likely !! Now to the lion,, the Lion of Lucerne is depicted as a dying lion which a simple google search would have shown !! So even if your item had that in mind it is not correct for how it was sold to you !! I am sure it is just a souvenir item from someones trip to France !!
And the last post was not mine but from Friedrich who is an expert on porcelain and pottery from that region and lives there !! Since your mark does not appear on anything from France or anywhere else,, I agree with him that it was likely a Chinese import !! It is quite common to find many items misrepresented as being from other countries and by other makers !! That is likely why the Lion of Lucerne as depicted on your item is totally wrong !!
So,, don`t get your drawers in an uproar,, just learn to use Google if you intend to learn about vintage and antique items !! We have been involved for more years than you are old (probably) so we do know a few things !!
No one intends to be rude but we do have our own lives !! Mine includes a husband, a house, six horses rescue dogs, and all the normal cooking and cleaning that goes along with it !! So if I just have time to jot down a few things and it sounds abrupt,, you will just have to get over it !!