How were trophies first made and how can you make a trophy today?
Trophies have marked victory since Ancient Times, when the Greeks would reflect their victories in war. The word trophy actually derives from the Greek word
tropaion, which itself comes from the verb trope, meaning to rout. So, in the field of war, the victor would create their trophy on the battlefield at the place where the enemy found their defeat. The trophies the used could be captured arms, where they would be hung from a tree or a large stake in order to resemble the figure of a warrior. They would be inscribed with details from the battle, and they were often dedicated to a God/the Gods. Naval trophies would consist of an entire ship that would be laid out on the nearest beach, representing the conquest it undertook. The destruction of a
trophy would be considered about sacrilege as it was often given thanks and attributed to the Gods.
The ancient Romans often wanted their trophies much closer to home, so instead of building a tribute to the Gods and victors at the place of victory, the Romans would craft special trophies at home, in Rome. These trophies were magnificent and they would often include columns and arches. There are still some of these standing today, as in Rome huge stone memorials still stand.
A trophy can come in a number of styles and sizes.
Gold trophies,
silver trophies or
wooden trophies.
Now, in the modern day, trophies are now (thankfully) less expensive and much easier to attain. Trophies are still given to signify victory but they’re awarded more frequently, for a number of occasions. In addition of having a vast range of figures to choose from, trophies often come in three standard forms: the action figure crowning the base, the action figure that sits atop the base or a rectangular piece of plastic which is decorated.
How are they designed?
A trophy is not something that’s designed as a complete piece; instead, it’s broken down into several components that are all designed and redesigned, with an assembler being responsible to then choose the individual components to make
the trophy. Firstly, a base is used, which upon the trophy sits. This will often be made from plastic but it will be given a marble or wood effect. Next the column or columns are added. These are the vertical piece or pieces on the figurine. These are often plain metal or marble. The riser is then added, which is a small, decorative element that rests on the base and the columns. Finally, on top of everything else, comes the figurine.
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