I, for one, think it is a fantastic engraving job. Not a hunting scene, to be sure, but a wetland odyssey. I live by a beaver pond that otters frequent on a regular basis, and I never tire of watching them. The artistry depicted in this engraving pattern, with its plants, small animals, air bubbles etc. is a true delight in both composition and execution. If I could choose a decorative pattern that expresses the environment around me, this would be it -- together with beavers on the other lockplate, or underneath the action bar; bears and deer would also be welcome.
Exhibition guns are not to everyone's taste, and the decorative subject matter can be highly varied: gargoyles, dinosaurs, mythical creatures, classical figures (aka tarts in bedsheets), and anything else one might think of. As to the appropriateness of such designs on a hunting gun, let us not forget that the classic floral scroll of ubiquitous use on so many guns depicts a Mediterranean herb, the sea dock (Acanthus mollis), first used in decoration in stone columns of the Greek Corinthian Order, during the Late Classical Period (430–323 BC) -- hardly hunting-related.
