A wonderfully strange, handled (soup) bowl!

Hallo all.
This bowl is a delight...I love the design and decoration. I'm not certain what animal is depicted, but by the ears and snout I've assumed an elephant...or maybe not! Sadly there are no obvious markings, so does anybody recognise the style of this bowl.
Thank you.
Jack.

It looks a bit like things that Marit Ammerud makes. I was wondering what the base says too

You know, you're absolutely right Naomi! Sadly I suffer from AMD (not a great affliction when looking at detail), so I sometimes miss things which are dark in colour...I thought it was a pattern!
I've attached an enhanced image: I think I can see a date of 1912, but cannot make out the text.
Thank you for your input.
Jack

Is it an anteater?

Hmmm possibly. Certainly a better anteater than the elephant I suggested.

Even if it is an anteater it's still a better elephant than anything I could manage

Good point...me too!!
Can anybody read the text on the base?
Thanks
Jack

I hope this helps a little...

I think I can see the word 'MILAY' or 'MILAT', but can find no reference online.
Does this ring any bells with anyone?
Thank you.

There is a potter, Jane Adams, working in St. Just, Cornwall (and who used to run the St. Agnes pottery)
who has made a lot of bowls with animals for handles in a style very similar to yours.
A lot of her work is made to order and I'm wondering if your bowl is one of her comissioned pieces. I know that the signature under the bowl bears no relation to either her name or St. Just but I can't find any examples of how she marks her work, so what we're trying to decipher may be nothing more than a customer reference.
I may be way off here but I think it's worth a look. If you follow the link below and scroll down there are a few examples of her bowls.
https://www.janeadamsceramics.net/product-category/miscellaneousceramicsanimals/

Thanks Grumpy Grandad (a title I've also inherited!), thats very interesting. I can certainly see from the link you provided why you thought of Jane Adams: with the exception of the pattern on mine, the examples are very similar to mine. Assuming this is the same Jane Adams, I have owned a goblet of hers for some time which is marked on the base with a joined 'JA', but as you say, this pot could be bespoke and therefore bereft of her normal stamp.
I shall look further at her work. Many thanks.