The Romanesque and Gothic periods used the massive table form of the 4th century with its slab of stone (Regensburg has an altar of this style) ; usually a ciborium covers these altars. Silver plastic decoration (usually from the hands of a goldsmith) soon began to be displayed in altar decoration. Perhaps most noted of the period is that of the Collegiate Church at Klosterueuenburg (Austria) by Nicolas de Verdun (1181) representing scenes from the Old and New Testament. From the 11th and 12th centuries the massive altars are relieved by architectural outside work—small detached columns supporting arches (effigies often in the openings) broken into trefoil and quarterfoil, tracings, mullions, etc. Gables and crockets, of course, appear. Gothic altars are frequently of carved wood, painted and gilded. Wing altars were a common form, having plastic internal ornament and painted decora tion outside rile Last Judgment' in the Church of our Lady at Danzig; the high altar in the monastery church at Blaubeuren; the 'Coronation of Mary> in the. Minster of Brei f ach and the Bruggemann altar in the Schles wig Cathedral). In the 14th century an open work gallery often replaces the_pillars.
In Italy, in the Renaissance, a birdrchino (ciborium) supported by four columns was in vogue, but in France this structure fell, into disuse and the pyxide is then suspended from the extremity of a shaft ending in the form of a bishop's crook placed behind the altar. Be hind the altar is placed a °tabernacle') (shrine) for the reliquaries. From the 13th century, in order better to display the reliquaries, chasses, etc., during fetes, the retable was formed back of the altar. And the cabinet (utaber nacle) to hold the relics was placed on the retable. Then (14th century) swinging painted pictures (triptychs) were placed beneath con structed in different compartments to be opened at will. It was in the Renaissance that the great altar picture originated as a chief unit. With the early Renaissance period altars be came veritable works of art. On them the greatest artists, sculptors and goldsmiths de voted their utmost talents accentuated by re ligious zeal.
With the growth in complexity of church edifices and their increasing separate devo tional sections, other altars were installed in the additional divisions, the main altar becom ing known as the high-altar, others being termed side-altars.
Portable Termed by contempo raries variously altaria viatica, portatilia, ges tatoria, as differentiated from the fixed or monumental church altar, these were less cum bersome pieces of priestly furniture. They consisted, as a rule, of a rectangular slab of valuable stone, as marble, agate, porphyry, onyx, amethyst, etc., enclosed in a frame of gold or gilt copper. Decorations consisted of precious stones, enamel or niello work. A wooden table usually formed the back, also richly embellished. The relic, sanctifying the altar, was enclosed in a cavity in the centre or in the corners. Beda (8th century) tells of
them being used on missionary journeys; the Crusaders carried them on their campaigns in the 12th century. Some portable altars took the form of triptychs, having swinging panels that could be opened or closed at will. These consisted of ivory, precious stones or paintings. When larger relics were to be carried the altar took the form of a shrine (chasse), usually of sarcophagus shape resting on the claws of animals. Of existing examples we might mention a Romanesque portable altar in the Church of the Virgin at Treves — the travel ing altar of St. Willibrod. One is in the treas ury of the cathedral at Bamberg, one in the cathedral at Paderborn, two in the chapter house of Melk, several in the Cologne archie piscopal museum, in the royal treasury cham ber at Hanover, several in the new museum, Berlin. A small Gothic wing-altar is in the sacristy at •rchlinde, Westphalia, another (14th century) in the Admont Collegiate Church, in Steyermark; another (of 1497) in the Nuremberg Germanic Museum. The Mor gan collection contains a fine Gothic (14th cen tury) folding altar of gold, decorated with jewels and enamel.
Altar The consecrated altar of the early Christian days was enshrined. Cur tains hanged from the architraves of the ciborium, or from rods between the four pil lars of the baldacchino of the Renaissance, to hide the altar on all four sides (the Eastern Church developed solid walls of the iconosta sis). In the Middle Ages the veil in front of the altar disappeared (except in Lent), but the idea of enshnmng persisted, for the frontal hid the altar and the cloth covered its top; the dorsals closed the rear from view, and the riddeir, hanging from rods at the sides, hid either end. The reredos more solidly replaced the dorsal curtain. And all persist to this day.
In primitive times altars were covered with rich tissue or precious stuff, over which one linen cloth was laid during the time Hof cele bration. This served also as a corporal and was called a. pall. Subsequently the corporal was a distinct linen cloth set apart specially for the purpose. The cloths used in covering the altars were designated panes (palkum, altari.r) down to a late period. Three linen cloths cover the altar, the, uppermost being the largest and reaching to the floor. The upper linen cloth was termed the feir-linen. In the Greek Church pieces of cloth (called Evangelists) were (and are still) placed at the four cornets of the altar. Over these four pieces was spread a linen cloth (xareeepica) because it is the figure of the white winding-sheet in which Joseph of Arimathea swathed the body of the dead Saviour. Over this cloth was placed an other thinner one, which represented the Glory of the Son of God seated on the altar as on a throne. Over these four pieces of cloth and these two linen coverings was a corporal, which represented the figure of the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.