Nelson's ship sets sail on Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth

Crowds gather in London's Trafalgar Square to inspect the fourth plinth's latest occupant, Yinka Shonibare's giant replica of the ship that won the war (of Trafalgar, that is), the HMS Victory Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian Photograph: Graeme Robertson/guardian.co.uk The large-scale model, entitled Nelson's Ship in a Bottle, depicts the vessel from which the naval hero commanded the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. 'It seemed obvious to do a work that was connected to [Trafalgar Square] in some way,' says Shonibare Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk With 37 sails and 80 cannon, this is the largest ship in a bottle ever to have been made Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk The sailcloth is made of traditional sail canvas, hand-sewn and hand-printed by the artist in batik designs Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: /guardian.co.uk Everything on the ship is minutely carved. From steps that lead below deck ... Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk ... and intricately detailed figureheads ... Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk ... to rows of miniature cannon Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk Shonibare used traditional materials – oak, hardwood, brass, twine and canvas – for the ship's details, such as this rigging Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk ... and this entry port [This caption was amended on 24 May 2010. The original referred to this opening as a porthole] Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk The bottle measures 5 x 2.8 metres – large enough for studio workers to slip into and work inside Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk Some of the tools of the trade Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk Shonibare, Nigerian by birth, is fascinated by the racial stereotyping of 'African art'. His use of Dutch wax, the exuberant batik seen here on one of the ship's sails, harks back to colonial times, when Dutch merchants sold tonnes of the cloth to west African markets Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk A closeup of Shonibare's hand-sewn sailcloth Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: David Levene/guardian.co.uk As a faithful 1/30th replica of Nelson's ship, Shonibare's sculpture even sports perfectly scaled versions of the ship's smaller boats, such as the cutter [This article was amended on 24 May 2010. The original described the ship's working boats as lifeboats.] Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk ... and stands afloat in a solid yet convincingly textured sea Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk A giant cork for the neck of the bottle. The bottle is sealed with wax, on which the name of the artist is inscribed: 'YSMBE, Yinka Shonibare MBE' Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk Shonibare, pictured here at the sculpture's unveiling in Trafalgar Square, says: 'Nelson's victory freed up the seas for the British, and that led, in turn, to the London we know today: an exciting, diverse, multicultural city. Maybe this is just a monument to live, and let live' Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Ben Stansall/guardian.co.uk The model of the HMS Victory is launched in Trafalgar Square – with Nelson looking on from his column Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian Photograph: Graeme Robertson/guardian.co.uk A man overtaken by the sunny weather – and the plinth's maritime theme, perhaps – sunbathes by the fountain Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian Photograph: Graeme Robertson/guardian.co.uk