Rigby honours the legacy of Jim Corbett

London gunmaker John Rigby & Co. has unveiled an exquisite, limited edition bronze sculpture of iconic hunter Jim Corbett.

Artist Jenna Gearing was commissioned to depict a scene featuring Corbett, who most famously explored and conquered the Indian hunting scene, for the first in a series of ‘Rigby Heroes’. She created eight bronze sculptures and only two are still available to buy after six of them were pre-ordered by Rigby and Corbett enthusiasts.

The sculpture reflects the Chowgarh Man-Eater oil painting by renowned wildlife and hunting artist David Southgate. The painting, which was based on one of Corbett’s fascinating stories, shows the hunter aiming his .275 Rigby at one of the notorious man-eating tigers of Chowgarh. The story goes that the famous huntsman was within eight paces of with the killer animal after bending down to retrieve eggs on the ground. Following a successful confrontation, Corbett rendered the eggs lucky and returned them to their rightful nest.

To commemorate the commissioning of the eight sculptures, Rigby shot the world-famous .275 Corbett rifle eight times before retiring it forever. Each bullet casing from these final eight shots has been placed at the front of the eight editions to signify the link between the rifle, the sculpture and Jim Corbett himself, highlighting the importance of his legacy and Rigby’s respect for the renowned hunter.

Jenna commented: “The idea came about a couple of years ago when I was talking to Rigby managing director Marc Newton over a glass of wine at a restaurant. The sculpture was quite tricky to do because it is so fine – I needed needles to get the detail into Corbett’s face. I really enjoy creating a sculpture like this that tells such a beautiful story, especially when there is such history behind it. I’m a hunter myself, so I know what Corbett means. To share the enthusiasm for his story was really rewarding.”

Marc Newton, the managing director of Rigby added: “Jenna has crafted a famous piece of Rigby history with great skill. Her portrayal of Corbett in front of the Chowgarh tiger is a stunning piece of work and has attracted a great deal of interest from Corbett and Rigby enthusiasts.”

Each sculpture, which is mounted on a piece of black granite, costs £12,000 plus VAT.