cartouche

1) A rectangular frame with rounded ends used in ancient Egypt to enclose the name of a king or queen.

Cartouche of Cleopatra VII. New Kingdom. 69–30 BCE.

2) A decorative carved frame, often surrounding an inscription.

Dedicatory inscription in a cartouche. Trinity Green Almshouses, London. 1695.

A free resource for students and teachers, created by Dr. James Terry. Art History Glossary by James Terry is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 .