We invite your comments on these works or anything else illustrated in these pages. Your thoughts help us do better work! - Jeff
Jeffrey Parry & Son
At left is a Ruger No. 1 that I grew attached to after a few hunting seasons. (Every once in a while I get to engrave a gun for myself!) The leopard is in 24 kt. gold and the scroll work is very deep with a very, very fine matted background. In this case, the heavy scroll serves to lend contrast to the highly detailed figure and gives depth for a feeling of the deep jungle.
I love the cold stare of the big cats, likely the last sight on earth for a hunter that made the mistake of letting the leopard find him first.
At right is the top lever from the sidelock Meunier illustrated elsewhere on this site and magnified as much as the close-up would allow. I sometimes like to include small figures within the scroll and I see no reason to limit them to game animals. This tiny humingbird is detailed down to the glint in his eye. The little guy highlights an area of the gun which, far more often than not, is given little attention. The lever rests upon the engraving vise my father gave me 40 years ago.