Not exactly sure, but it reminds me a lot of my great grandmother's spitoon, only hers was copper.

Probably not Chinese ... Mexican

That incised flower pattern and the black finish is common in pottery from Oaxaca. the three-legged form is unusual.

I was thinking Mexican or Central American.

The three legged form would make it a good pot for heating a small quantity of liquid on an open fire. I'm not saying this is what your pot is for, but perhaps the decorative version evolved from the practical version.

It could be used as a flower vase. It is right sized for a big spray of gladiolas.

Kind of looks like the hole in the middle of the "flower" decorations goes right through, making the vase impossible to hold water.

It's 5" tall right? Insert a plastic liner inside so it holds water. Fill it with black-eyed susans. Take another pic and show us how it looks :)

Those holes might be for drawing oxygen in to keep incense alight.