reredos

An altar and reredos from St. Josaphat Catholic Church in Detroit, Michigan. This would be called a retable in many other languages and countries.

Modern glass reredos, Saint Matthew's Church ("the Glass Church"), Millbrook, Jersey.

There are two common meanings of the word reredos. In general architecture, the word can mean the back of an open hearth of a fireplace or a screen placed behind a table.

In more common religious usage, a reredos (also spelled raredos) is a screen or decoration behind the altar in a church, usually depicting religious iconography or images also called altarpiece. It can be made of stone, wood, metal, ivory, or a combination of materials. The images may be painted, carved, gilded, composed of mosaics, and/or embedded with niches for statues. Sometimes a tapestry is used, or other fabric such as silk or velvet.

The term is derived from the a Middle English term which is derived from an Anglo-Norman 14th century term areredos, from arere behind +dos back, from Latin dorsum. In French and sometimes in English, this is called a retable (in Spain a retablo etc).

The usage of the term, and distinction with retable, in English (especially Anglican usage) differs from that in other languages. Many English "reredoses" would be called "retables" elsewhere.^{[citation needed]}

The retable may have become part of the reredos when an altar was moved away from the wall. For altars that are still against the wall, the retable often sits on top of the altar, at the back, particularly when there is no reredos (a dossal curtain or something similar is used instead). The retable is also where the altar cross, flowers and "office light" type candlesticks sit.

Although the term dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries, it was nearly obsolete until revived in the 19th century.

Examples from various churches

This reredos in Holy Trinity Church, West Bromwich, was provided as part of the war memorials in thanksgiving for the safe return of those serving in the Great War, 1914 - 1919.

This reredos is found under the altar in Ansgar Chapel, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NYC.

Altar of The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza

See also

• Altarpiece
• Retablo

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