Cartouches are ornamental ovals or ellipses enclosing a group of hieroglyphs in ancient Egyptian inscriptions, often framed as a tablet-like enclosure. In modern usage, 'cartouche' can refer to a decorative or protective curved outline around text or a metal cartridge case in firearms contexts. As a plural noun, cartouches denotes multiple such enclosures or cases. The term is used in archaeology, epigraphy, and historical design discourse.
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