Rare Decorative Alms Bowl and Offering Tray

This family heirloom is believed to have been purchased by Nancy in Nepal in the late 1960s. We believe it is bronze but have been told it could be a copper/brass alloy. 
 
It is rare in that we could find nothing like it online before listing. We do believe it is a Nepali or Tibetan alms bowl and offering tray. Please let us know if you know otherwise...
 
It obviously needs polishing, currently sporting a dark patina and white residue from the last time someone tried polishing stuck in the crevices of the decorative patterns around the rim of the bowl. It does have imperfections: a ‘shadow scar’ blackened area on the side that is related to repair work done inside, a white paste hardened inside the base, a few scratches and nicks, a dent in the foot which does not affect stability. See photos. 
 
H 9” x diameter 8 ¼” 
4.8 lbs
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.