Sri Lankan Thali with Elephant

This unusual engraved and chased brass platter is probably from Sri Lanka. There is an elephant in the centre, surrounded by a flower and intricate chased floral designs. This thali would probably have been used as a decorative item.
The Sri Lankan elephant is one of three recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant, and is native to Sri Lanka. Elephants were a common element in Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamils heraldry for over two thousand years, and remained so through British colonial rule. The coat of arms and the flag of Ceylon Government from 1875 to 1948 included an elephant, and even today many institutions use the Sri Lankan elephant in their coat of arms and insignia.