Many old maps are as much works of art as tools for getting from one place to another, and one of the most engaging artistic embellishments of these maps are the decorative frames called cartouches, which often surround the map’s title and other details. Cartouches were an important cartographic design element from the 15th to the 19th century and continue to be used on 21st-century maps. Although they are one of the most visually engaging elements on maps, and despite the fact that it is often through the decoration of the cartouche that the cartographer speaks most directly to the viewer—revealing his or her interests or prejudices—there is no detailed study of them, no discussion of their earliest history or development, and no attempt to interpret the symbolism of a large number of them together.

Join Chet Van Duzer and Arthur Dunkelman as they discuss the early history and development of cartouches, examine some of their sources, and explain the symbolism of several remarkable cartouches in detail.