Fanned Palmette Cartouche Onlay

A crisp central cartouche where a fanned palmette bursts from a knot of scrolling leaves. The star of this onlay is the upright acanthus fan at the centre — spread like a plume and crowned with a rounded bud — anchored by a short horizontal bar that reads almost like a ribbon tie. From behind it, two symmetrical arms of foliage sweep outward and curl up into hooked tips, balanced below by matching spiral scrolls. The carving is sharper and more sculptural than a soft ribbon flourish: the leaf edges are cut deep and the fan has genuine lift, so it catches light strongly from above. That makes it a natural centrepiece for a cabinet door, an overdoor panel, a fireplace frieze or the crown of a mirror. Print notes • Rough the bulk with a ballnose, then define the pointed leaf tips and deep splits with a 20-30 degree V-bit for that hand-carved crispness. • Choose a tight-grained hardwood — beech, cherry or lime — so the fine points do not crumble. • The relief is deepest at the centre and thins to nothing at the outer scrolls, so it lays flat with no supports. • Finish with wax, a limed effect, or gilding on the raised leaf faces for a period look. Scales cleanly for large CNC panels or small printed appliqués alike.