Modern Cup Trophies

Award EFX
Award EFX
Sep 6, 2018 · 3 min read
Modern Cup Trophies

The tradition of awarding trophies to recognize achievement stems from ancient times when soldiers would commemorate their victories by decorating a tree on the battlefield with armour and other items taken from fallen combatants. In later Greek and Roman periods, these tropaia were brought back from the battle and set up as monuments in cities and public places. The convention of using symbolic items as trophies was gradually adopted in other areas of life, most notably in sporting competition — victorious athletes at the ancient Olympic Games were awarded crowns made from olive leaves. Throughout the centuries since then, all manner of items have been gifted in recognition of accomplishments small and great. And the tradition still thrives today, with a vast range of bespoke cups and trophies available from companies like EFX Awards.

Many modern award trophies are cup shaped, especially those presented for success in team sports. Doesn’t every football-mad youngster dream of lifting the FA Cup for their favourite team? So prominent is this idea in the public consciousness that the highest level of international football competition is known as ‘The World Cup’, despite the fact that the trophy looks nothing at all like a cup!

One might ask, why do so many modern trophies take the form of a cup? Returning to the days of the Greek and Roman empires, soldiers and athletes would have celebrated their victories with great feasts, during which they drank wine from multi-handled drinking cups. Since then, many European civilizations have practiced communal drinking as a social ritual, using large and often decorated cups with two or more handles. Taking a drink together was seen as a way of bonding people together in a celebration of unity, trust, and common purpose. While the design and materials of these vessels vary greatly depending on their era and area of origin, what are now referred to by many collectors as ‘pass cups’ were an important part of daily life for many centuries.

As time passed, these cups became larger and more ornate. Exquisitely crafted ‘Guild Cups’ were an important part of the traditions and rituals practiced at meetings of trade guilds and societies. In Celtic and French cultures, a common cup for the bride and groom was an important part of marriage ceremonies. This may have been the source of the term ‘loving cup’, which is now used to describe trophy cups. While it is unclear just when the first presentation of a cup as a trophy occurred, the shape and decoration of such awards, along with their usually being made from pewter or silver, show clear evidence of their link to ancient pass cups.

In recent years, the trend for sporting cups has been toward smoother, simpler designs, and away from the elaborate decoration of yesteryear. EFX Awards offer a range of stylish modern trophy cups suitable for any event or ceremony and a full engraving service. Alternatively, collaborate with our team to produce a bespoke cup to your own design.

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