Master Of Saint Gilles - The Mass of St Gilles - WGA14485

A Dossal (or dossel, dorsel, dosel), from French ''dos'' (''back''), is one of a number of terms for something rising from the back of a church

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

. In modern usage, it primarily refers to cloth hangings but it can also denote a board, often carved or containing a painting, that rises vertically from the back of the altar and to which the cloth is attached.

Retable A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum, it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate struct ...

and

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...

are alternative terms for solid structures, as is

altarpiece An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, ...

, all of them rather more commonly used today. Dossal remains the usual term for an ornamental cloth suspended behind an altar, probably attached to the wall behind. This is often called a dossal curtain, and altar screen is also sometimes used as a synonym for a cloth dossal, as well as, more dubiously, for wood or stone screens in various locations in the sanctuary. Curtains at the side of an altar may be called

riddels In Church architecture, ecclesiastical architecture, a ciborium (Greek language, Greek: κιβώριον; ) is a canopy or covering supported by columns, freestanding in the sanctuary, that stands over and covers the altar in a church architectu ...

; these may be suspended between riddel posts at the corners of the altar. More rarely, a cloth dossal may continue as a horizontal "tester" hanging immediately over the altar, giving the cloth of honour configuration typical for enthroned monarchs and others in the Middle Ages, and often seen in medieval and Renaissance paintings of the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

in particular. "Dossal" may also be used for a secular vertical cloth of honour, or the vertical part of one. A refinement of the definition of a painted dossal is that it could be easily detached and fitted between poles (or some similar arrangement), and was carried in processions on particular feast-days. This definition is especially found relating to medieval Italy, and the

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

, who are thought to have begun this practice, commissioning Berlinghiero Berlinghieri soon after St Francis' canonization in 1228. The Bardi Dossal illustrated is such a piece, typical in that it shows a saint, here Saint

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone ( 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italians, Italian Mysticism, mystic, poet and Friar, Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Chris ...

, as the main image, surrounded by scenes from his life. In a larger altarpiece, these would be

predella In art a predella (plural predelle) is the lowest part of an altarpiece, sometimes forming a platform or step, and the painting or sculpture along it, at the bottom of an altarpiece, sometimes with a single much larger main scene above, but oft ...

scenes running below the main painting. However, dossal is used of some large

polyptych A polyptych ( ; Greek: ''poly-'' "many" and ''ptychē'' "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) which is divided into sections, or panels. Some definitions restrict "polyptych" to works with more than three sections: a diptych is ...

s which could not be taken on procession in this way. In academic art history, "dossal" is today only likely to be used for such paintings, or the textiles. Cloth dossals rarely achieve much individual notability, but the "Lanercost Dossal" at

Lanercost Priory Lanercost Priory was founded by Robert de Vaux, Sheriff of Cumberland, Robert de Vaux between 1165 and 1174, the most likely date being 1169, to house Augustinians, Augustinian Canon (priest), canons. The priory is situated in the village of Lan ...

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...

, was specially designed by

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...

and embroidered by local ladies. It is 24 feet wide, in "

worsted Worsted ( or ) is a high-quality type of wool yarn, the fabric made from this yarn, and a yarn weight category. The name derives from Worstead (from Old English ''Wurðestede'', "enclosure place"), a village in the English county of Norfolk. T ...

wools on a felted ground". In 2012 it was removed for restoration, which was completed in 2014.''The William Morris Lanercost Priory Dossal - History and Conservation''
by Christine Boyce (27 pages).

Notes

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References

*"Guild"
"Dossals, and Riddles and Testers"
The Altar Guild Resource for the Diocese of Rhode Island Altars Altarpieces