Impressive official gift presented to Greek athletic legend Spyridon Louis at the Berlin 1936 Summer Games. Louis, at the Athens 1896 Summer Olympics, became the first winner of the Olympic marathon. The gift is a wooden hanging plaque, 7″ x 9.5″ x 4″, which features a sculptural portrait carving of Louis in profile, his impressive mustache a telltale giveaway; the reverse of the plaque features an affixed bronze plate with an inscription in Greek (translated): “To Olympic winner Spyros Louis, The Greek Parliament, To his Honor.” Although undated, it’s believed strongly that the gift derives from the Berlin Games, where Louis served as a guest of honor by the organizers of the 1936 Summer Olympics. After bearing the standard of the Greek team during the opening ceremonies, he was received by Adolf Hitler, to whom Louis offered an olive branch from Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, as a symbol of peace.
