This ceramic kitchen tool is called a pie bird, pie vent, or pie funnel.
It was placed in the center of a filled pie before the top crust was added. During baking, the hollow bird allowed hot steam to escape through its open beak.
This helped prevent the filling from bubbling over, reduced the chance of a soggy crust, and supported the pastry so it would not collapse into the filling.
Pie birds became especially popular in British and American kitchens before modern pie vents and baking tools were common. Today, many people collect them as charming pieces of kitchen history.
