A richly decorated cloth or tapestry hung behind or above an altar in a church.
From Medieval Latin 'dorsale' (back/dorsal piece), from 'dorsum' (back). This evolved to describe ornamental cloths placed at the back of altars in church architecture.
Dossals are stunning examples of how religious spaces merged art and function—the elaborate embroidery and gold thread wasn't just pretty; it symbolized heaven and holiness to medieval worshippers who rarely saw such luxury otherwise!
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