A trophy, in the decorative arts, is an ornamental arrangement of grouped objects, originally weapons and armour, carved, painted, cast or moulded as decoration. The term also describes a prize awarded for victory in a competition, such as a silver cup or shield, and the displayed antlers and heads of game animals.
The decorative trophy derives from the ancient Roman practice of displaying captured arms and armour on a post as a memorial of victory. Revived during the Renaissance, trophies of arms became common on military buildings, monuments and the façades of palaces. From the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the idea was widened to include musical instruments, gardening tools, hunting gear and emblems of love, the arts or the seasons, often tied with ribbons and used on carved wall panels, plasterwork, overdoors, furniture and textiles. The Neoclassical period made particular use of such motifs. Sporting and presentation trophies became especially popular in the Victorian era, with silver cups and plaques engraved for horse racing, rowing, shooting and agricultural shows. Engraved inscriptions add historical interest, though erasures and later alterations should be checked.
