Flask with floral carving, lug feet and hinged phoenix? lid

I recently purchased this flask simply because it intrigued me and am trying to figure out what it actually is. It was advertised/sold as a "Blackened Brass Ink Bottle" but that just doesn't seem correct. I thought perhaps a snuff bottle but I think it's too large and heavy for that. The bottle measures 3.5 x 2 x 6". I've looked for something/anything similar but really haven't found anything like it. At first I thought the character on the top could be considered a phoenix but perhaps is a peacock? Perhaps neither!  Any thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your help!