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| 19th century |
Unbeknownst to many, a canopy over a high altar was at one time considered obligatory (though it was a rule that was not always observed suffice it to say). The reason for this is that the canopy over the altar, whether a true and proper ciborium magnum with its canopy supported on four pillars over the altar (this is the most ancient form, dating from at least Constantinian times), or the 'tester' form (which amounts to a suspended canopy, dated to around the 14th century), added to the prominence and dignity of the high altar. Indeed, given the sad decline found in the use of canopies over most major altars today, we should be only too familiar with how the absence of these -- in particular in larger spaces -- tends to make the altar a rather anti-climactic sight within a church; a small rectangular box in the midst of an otherwise vacuous space. In addition to this reasoning however, altar canopies also helped to both protect the altar itself and further tied into the broader cultural tradition and practice of covering sacred and royal things.
While to full blown ciborium is something we have shown here on many occasions, it seemed high time to stop and take a look at these suspended canopies called "testers" (though they are known by other names as well). These are typically made of textiles, wood and/or metal, being suspended above the altar, often from the ceiling, and covering over at least the altar and its footpace; in other instances it covers the altar and all of its surrounding altar steps. In terms of form, traditionally they are square or rectangular in shape, thus coinciding with the shape of the altar, but they may also be other shapes such as ovular.
Very frequently the designs of these testers might approximate a textile like form in their design (see below), whether they are actually textile-based or not. This is owing in part to the origins of this form of altar canopy which were frequently, historically speaking, made from textiles (sometimes even being changed to align to the liturgical colour of the day/season, but otherwise often coloured in red and sometimes white/gold) and in point of fact this is the origin of the word "baldacchino" which is derived from the name of the Persian city of "Baghdad" from whence many of these precious textiles came. So it is then that even after some of these canopies moved beyond the actual use of textiles in their construction, some of them gave a nod back to these origins and approximated that form in their construction:
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| 19th century |
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| 1758 |
Other examples shown here will show you other images found on the underside of these canopies, so I would invite you to simply look at these details. In terms of the 'exterior' construction (i.e. the sides), outside of the textile like forms we have already discussed, angels are frequently also to be found, or sometimes simply decorative elements common to architectural objects. On this next example below, we see two cherubs perched on the top corners of the tester, while imagery of wheat and grapes around found beneath.
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| Second half of the 18th century |
Of course, some of these canopies do still retain their actual textile components, such as this example taken from the last quarter of the 18th century. A red damask has been used along with a fringe that was probably at one time gold, now discoloured to due dust and oxidization.
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| 1775-1799 |
With those few notes in mind, here are some more examples of this beautiful object of liturgical art -- one which, along with the ciborium magnum itself, is well overdue for a revival so that our altars may once again be given the priority, recognition and beautification they so deserve.
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| First half of the 19th century |
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| 19th century |
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| 19th century |
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| Late 19th to early 20th century |
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| Late 19th to early 20th century |
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| 18th century |
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| 19th century |
