Question Okimono Bronze Signature?

[Bill Hunter]

I've been trying to discover as much as possible about this item and would really appreciate any assistance.
This is my Japanese bronze elephant okimono which was obtained by my father when in the Royal Navy in the 1940s.
It is 19.5cm High x 37cm Long x 14cm Wide.
I believe the artist to be Omori Mitsumoto.
Is that correct and is there any further information you could provide about his work?
Very many thanks for your help with this.

 

[Bill Hunter]

After some online searching.... these are the characters I think 光元作 ??

 

[thomas]

After a cursory glance, there isn't much biographical information available on "Omori Mitsumoto" (? 大森光元). However, his name appears on several Japanese auction sites, referring to him as an "Edo era sculptor."

彫刻家 大森光元作 銅製 ブロンズ像 虎 置物「中古」の落札価格｜その他｜Yahoo!オークション(旧ヤフオク!) 落札相場- オークファン（aucfan.com）

彫刻家 大森光元作 銅製 ブロンズ像 虎 置物(Yahoo!オークション(旧ヤフオク!) )は18件の入札を集めて、2023/08/22 21:55に落札されました。

aucview.aucfan.com

ED516 時代物 金工師 大森光元 作 細密技巧 銅製 象 高14.3cm 重1.1kg 銅造象 銅大象 銅ぞう 置物/床置「中古」の落札価格｜その他｜Yahoo!オークション(旧ヤフオク!) 落札相場- オークファン（aucfan.com）

ED516 時代物 金工師 大森光元 作 細密技巧 銅製 象 高14.3cm 重1.1kg 銅造象 銅大象 銅ぞう 置物/床置(Yahoo!オークション(旧ヤフオク!) )は18件の入札を集めて、2022/06/29 22:09に落札されました。

aucview.aucfan.com

 

[Bill Hunter]

Thank you for that it was very helpful.
There's not a great deal about that artist online but from what I've found he appears to have been a Japanese sculptor who lived during the Meiji period (1868-1912) and a piece of his work is apparently housed in the Tokyo National Museum.