Dishes of this type often really were "squashed" paperweights, at least from a stage when it could be seen by the maker that the wight would not turn out as intended. Converting to a dish or bowl can be an economic preference to discarding the bad weight.
But, for many of the Pin / Nut Dishes and Ashtrays from the earlier Vasart & Strathearn years, I believe the designs were also deliberate.
John Deacons still produces similar items.