Vase from very unique estate auction

I purchased this vase at an estate auction a couple of years ago. It was a very interesting auction. A bachelor's estate, he collected Napoleonic items and had an extensive Asian collection as his parents were professors and taught in China and Japan in the late 1800's. There were some amazing things. This vase was one of the last items to be auctioned. No one seemed very interested in it. I got it for $50.00. The auctioneer just called it a metal vase, no other details. No maker or identifying marks of any kind on the vase anywhere. The inside appears to be glass, a beautiful brown color, while the outside almost looks like a silver overlay, maybe over bronze or copper? It is quite heavy for it's size. I brought it home, gently washed it (no polishing), and then applied Renaissance Wax to the entire outside surface. Does anyone out there have any information on where this vase came from and what it may be made of? Is it even Asian?