I can't keep out of trouble. Asking advice again:

[Paper Roses]

A neighbor had a yard sale today and of course I went. Bought a wonderful Circa 1850 brass bail handle pot. OK, it was filled with pine cones and they went into the trash but:

After dumping the cones, I saw...(wonderful)...that the bottom 2 inches were incredibly tarnished. Actually, I think she might have had a plant in the pot. Anyway, I spent the day trying to clean the tarnish off. It is more than tarnish inside, it is some kind of residue. The outside looks fine(I use "Brass Boy brass polish), the inside needs help.

I googled how to remove this crud in as many ways as I could. So many rec's to use baking soda and vinegar(maybe salt too). I tried the polish today, used 000 steel wool then wet & dry sandpaper. It still looks awful.
Tomorrow is another day. Any suggestions before I start this job again? I want to hang this on a crane in my fireplace but not like it looks now.

As always, help is appreciated.

[flor-de-jasmim]

1. Here are some ideas...

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-clean-brass

The last suggestion (tomato) is the most interesting. Good luck.

[True Blue American]

3. Silver tarnishes,too.:)

[3catwoman3]

5. When tomato sauce has dripped on to the bottom or the edges...

...of my decades old Revere Ware copper bottom pans, the areas of contact "de-tarnish" immediately.

[True Blue American]

2. Not sure but

I gave my Son an old copper soup pot of solid copper that had been used in a Restaurant by an ancestor. He used a sander to bring it back. Solid copper. It had a round bottom, used on a coal stove. Shines now. I have several copper pieces, wash bin. I used lemon juice on that.

Not sure about Brass

[KS Toronado]

4. An "Ultrasonic cleaner" machine is the route to go

when everything else fails. Hospitals use them and so do some automotive repair shops
for rebuilding carburetors. Or put the pine cones or something else in it and cover it up.

[Phoenix61]

6. Paint thinner, finger nail polish remover.

My guess is something was glued to the bottom to hold a flower arrangement possibly.