Cartouche

A printed ornamental frame. Usually taking the form of a scroll, a cartouche was used to embellish the peripheries of a map. It often holds the map’s title, inscription, dedication, or artist’s hallmark. Cartouches can be richly decorated with items describing the contents of a particular map. Sometimes, cartouches were left blank to be filled in later with updated information or the name of a patron who purchased a map. For example, Antonio Florianus’ world map features an empty decorative cartouche.