Today trophies are awarded for a variety of reasons; from academic achievement, sporting events and to recognise employers or employees. A trophy is a sign of recognition for the recipient then one they can keep as a permanent reminder. They might be inexpensive, made from plastic and wood given to every participant in your child's soccer team, or they are able to also be a treasure to truly aspire to, such as for example an Olympic medal or something that has been passed down over many years, like the America's Cup, a sailing trophy.
The history of trophies extends back to ancient times. Derived from the French word 'trophee' in 1513, this means "a spoil or prize of war", trophies also date back to ancient Greece. Through victory in battle the Greeks would create trophies from the captured arms, and hang these on a tree or stake on the battlefield. The details of the battle were written on the arms and focused on the gods. Trophies were created out of entire ships following naval battles, that have been organized on the beach. In Rome trophies were formed within their architecture, memorials that included columns and archways. Records of cups awarded in the late 1600s exist, although there is little known about the existence of trophies given through the Middle Ages. A specific cup called the Kyp Cup was awarded in 1699 for a brief horse race between two New England towns.
The initial Olympic games in ancient Greece did not award medals. Instead their trophies consisted of an olive branch converted to a crown and only the winner was recognised. The initial modern Olympic games held in 1896 awarded silver medals. Today, of course, medals are awarded in gold, silver and bronze.
There are plenty of famous sporting trophies awarded today. A few of these include:
FIFA World Cup
The existing trophy has been awarded since 1974, although the competition has been held since 1930. It's the world's most widely watched tournament and held within a host nation every four years. The senior men's teams from 32 nations compete over a month, a position they need to qualify for over the three years before it.
Davis Cup
A major tennis trophy, this was first awarded in 1900. With a century of tradition the cup was donated by way of a Harvard student named Dwight Filley Davis and crafted by Rowland Rhodes in New England. This beautiful silver trophy is the only original major sporting cup to have lasted a century.
The Melbourne Cup
This stunning 18 carat gold trophy is recognised around the world, and is valued at $125,000. The race has been run since 1861 but today's design was made for the 1919 Melbourne Cup by James Steeth. Today exactly the same processes remain used to create it, where 34 individual bits of gold are hand beaten over 200 hours.
Wimbledon
Two beautiful trophies are awarded at the oldest tennis tournament on earth, one which continues to be played on grass, the initial tennis playing surface. The Gentlemen's singles winner is awarded a silver gilt cup that was first given in 1887. The winner of the Ladies singles receives a big silver dish know because the 'Venus Rosewater Dish', which is decorated with mythological figures.
phenolic labels are the Borg-Warner Trophy for the Indianapolis 500 champion; the Bledisloe Cup, an annual award for the winner of the Rugby Union between Australia and New Zealand; The Ashes, awarded to the winner of the cricket test series between Australian and England; the America's Cup for sailing and the AFL Premiership Cup.