Brass or Bronze Not a vase

I have an item that at first glance appears to be a vase. It is approximately 12 inches tall. Very heavy about 12-15 lbs and possibly bronze? It has pictures hand engraved of a man sitting at a dest writing. The man has a beard with an angel looking over him he also appears to have a halo over his head in all the pictures around it.  It has a Latin inscription at the top "Uvstus Et Palma Florebit 155" With the exception of the 155 the English translation is "Alpha and the Palm tree shall flourish" I belive the man to be depicted as St John or John the Baptist. I will have a picture uploaded just not able to today. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also had a handle at one time the handle holes stick out and are lions heads also something has been burned iside of it.