In a Christian church, a carved or painted screen placed above the altar facing the congregation. The earliest examples appeared in the 10th-11th century. The "pala d'oro" (gold altarpiece) in St.Mark's Venice, commissioned 1105. consistsof gold and enamel-work, as well as sculptured figures, and includes images of Christ in Majesty with angels and saints, with scenes from the New Testament and the life of the titular saint, Mark. An altarpiece consisting of two panels is called a diptych, three panels make triptych.

(Cambridge Encyclopedia)

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Note added at 3 hrs 23 mins (2004-03-24 01:53:04 GMT)
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