History

• Cartouches first appeared during the Fourth Dynasty while Pharaoh Sneferu ruled. It was known as a "shenu," a word derived from the Egyptian word "sheni," which meant to encircle. This shen had a double meaning--divine protection from evil and eternity. When the first cartouches were uncovered by French soldiers, the soldiers thought they looked like their bullet cartridges and called them cartouches, the French word for "cartridge."
  
  

Function

• The cartouche was thought to protect the name of the king and to ensure eternal life. Ancient Egyptians believed that a person would continue to live in the afterlife as long as their name was still spoken. To lose their name would spell certain death. Ancient Egyptians believed their name was a living part of their being. Babies were named promptly after birth to usher them into the world properly. They believed that if a name was not chosen immediately, the child would not come into existence properly. In death, they believed that the name carried significance and was inscribed on the tomb to assure eternal life. King's names were inscribed in cartouches and sarcophaguses were often shaped like a cartouche. The greatest dishonor one could experience was considered the loss of the name. Removing the name form a tomb was considered greater than death itself.
  
  

Significance

• Cartouches were an expression of ancient Egyptian beliefs concerning birth, death and the afterlife. Maintaining the cartouche after the death of a king was considered a way of honoring and protecting his soul. Cartouches were instrumental in deciphering the context of the Rosetta stone, a large 4-foot slab of black stone discovered in 1799 by Napoleon's soldiers. This stone was an official announcement honoring King Ptolemy in 196 BCE, but was written in three unknown languages. Translation was made possible by first deciphering the names of kings in the cartouches, which lead to the discovery that ancient hieroglyphs sometimes represented single sounds as well as whole words.
  
  

Types

• Cartouches were inscribed in rings, boxes, tombs and monuments. Sarcophaguses were designed in the shape of a cartouches and entire burial chambers have been discovered built in the shape of a giant cartouche. It appears that cartouches served as ornamental objects that honored the king.
  
  

Potential

• Replicas of Egyptian cartouches are available for sale today. These are made in the form of pendants or rings and are generally made from either silver or gold. A cartouche can be made to order with your name translated into Egyptian hieroglyphs enclosed with a magical rope. For many, this serves as a novelty or conversation piece, but for some the cartouche is worn as an amulet to ward off evil.