Scale 1:48 (?). A contemporary full hull model of a Danish gunboat (circa 1805), a shallow-draught vessel of 18-24 guns. Constructed in ‘bread and butter’ fashion, the model is partially decked and equipped, and is mounted on its original wooden display baseboard. At this scale (thought to be 1:48) it represents a vessel measuring 108 feet along the gundeck by 30 feet in the beam.

Although the nationality of this design is uncertain, there were Danish ‘gun prams’ of about the appropriate size and armament, but none of them is known to have the rather severe ‘galley beak’ and ‘pink stern’ as shown on the model. However, these features were found in certain Russian ‘shebeks’ of roughly the same date, but in their case, the dimensions are less suitable.

The very nature of the shallow and wide hull would indicate that this vessel was designed to operate as a stationary platform, hence the presence of catheads for the anchors at bow and stern, from which to bombard a coast or fortification. The existence of channels just under the gunwale indicates that it was rigged with three masts.