World's Columbian Exposition Heavy Lidded Container/Ashtray?

This was a souvenir from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition but I thought it would make a nice addition to this sale--and a reminder that I am working on a world's fair sale that will have at least 50+ Columbian pieces in it, among them a large group of scarce to rare WCE tickets.

This is an unusual item and not one that seems to be very typcial of the Columbian Expo; but so many souvenirs came from the world's fair that it's difficult to say most anything seems out of place. Among the metal souvenirs are at least a couple dozen with etched designs in the metal such as this. The actual portion other than the lid is very heavy and ornate. I can be certain just what its intended use was when it was sold as a souviner at the fair.

My best guess based on the metal and the weight would be as an ashtray, especially for a pipe or cigar where clumps of ash could be kept safely in this closed vessel. It would seem to be too heavy as a trinket box and the single flip handle would not be at all suited to such a use.

It meases about 3 inches across and weighs almost 8 ounces.