Portable Altars Through the Centuries

Guest post by Fr Andrew Marlborough

Here is the latest piece from Fr Andrew Marlborough, a priest of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, based in Germany. He has continued to scour auction houses and museum catalogs on both sides of the Atlantic for interesting pieces of liturgical furnishings. Fr Andrew writes:

Some of you may have seen the articles I wrote previously about portable altars. One of these detailed the design and manufacture of a new portable altar. The other article looked at historical examples used by military chaplains in the two World Wars.

Since then, I have conducted further research and monitored examples on the open market. This has been fascinating and has revealed a longer, more established tradition than I initially realized, as well as a wide variety of designs.

The tradition of portable altars began in earnest during the Medieval period. Surviving examples from this time are very rare and often in museums. For these early pieces, I would direct readers to the excellent work of Dr. Sarah C. Luginbill. She has cataloged more than 120 medieval portable altars, as well as studying 20th-century examples used by military chaplains. For more information, see her website: www.medievalportablealtars.com

What follows is a selection of examples from the 16th century to the 20th century. The first group are table-top altars and are far more portable. The second group are full pieces of furniture which can be more or less easily transported to different locations.

The first table-top example is a rather crude but historically important 16th century English portable altar. Its significance derives from its use by missionary priests under persecution during the English Reformation. It originates from Devon, and Bishop Vaughan of Plymouth gave it to Charles Weld in 1874. The Welds were an important recusant family who later built the shrine to Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs and St Ignatius at Chideock in Dorset. The family still cares for this beautiful little church, which has a small museum where the portable altar is kept.

Photo credit: Chideock Church

The basic design appears similar to late medieval table-top box designs. It is designed to sit on a surface and open for us. The lifting cover reveals a mensa with an integral altar stone. The interior cover functions as a reredos with applied altar cards. Below the mensa is a cavity for storage of sacred vessels and other items. It is compact, measuring around 70cm x 30cm x 15cm when closed.

The next example is a more sophisticated 18th-century tabletop piece made for Spanish royal patronage. It is currently housed in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Spain. It is a rare documentary piece bearing the signature of the court painter, Andres de la Calleja (1705-1785), and is dated 1734. Interestingly, Calleja also manufactured other portable altars. This shows the popularity of these objects and a certain specialization in manufacture.

(Credit: Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando)

The whole structure is finer and more ornate than other extant table-top altars. It is also large for this type, measuring 224cm in length. When closed, the box is ornately decorated with studwork and locks, and carries handles at each end. The top opens to reveal a sumptuous velvet-lined interior with a painted reredos triptych by Calleja. The central panel shows the Trinity and Holy Family with Saints Anne and Joachim. The right panel depicts Saint Francis, and the left panel shows Saint Anthony of Padua.

The challenge of making a portable altar is creating the aesthetic of a full-sized altar, and the necessary ritual space, in a compact size. This can range from very simple practical examples to highly ornate pieces. The Spanish altar above represents a high point of this type. It could be fruitful to study the other portable altars by Andres de la Cajella in more depth.

The next object is an 18th-century tabletop Neoclassical example made in Italy. Art La Rosa in Sicily sold it at auction in October 2025 for 1200 Euros. The design is interesting because it simulates both the tabernacle and gradine of a full-sized altar. It also uses painted decoration to simulate the effect of marble.

(Credit: Art La Rosa Auctions)

The fold-out design, with built-in storage, is both clever and practical. The size when closed is 120cm long x 56cm x 43cm. This could be considered a mid-sized table-top type and is about the comfortable minimum for performing the necessary ritual gestures.

Church Antiques in the UK recently sold two interesting 20th-century English wooden table-top altars. The first is of a more basic box form but has a beautifully carved Agnus Dei reredos. It is on the small side at approximately 70cm x 40cm x 40cm when closed. The second is a mid-century example made by the ecclesiastical firm Charles Farris. This latter piece shows that a great deal of thought went into its design. It is again compact, measuring 41cm x 31cm high x 17cm when closed. But the folding interior is a very clever use of space. It is more utilitarian than ornate but nonetheless a sophisticated example.

(Credit: Church Antiques)

Two further 18th-century Italian tabletop examples are noteworthy. They are very compact in size and it is not clear whether they were intended for Mass or just for sick visits. Both are creative in their design.

The first is made in the form of a book that opens to reveal a painted blue-marble-effect interior with a central giltwood Neoclassical reredos and lower drawer. It measures approximately 40cm x 10cm x 28cm when closed. This was sold at Babuino auction house in Rome in February 2022 for 800 Euros.

(Credit 1st Dibs)

The second is a plain, slender box form with a useful carrying handle. It measures approximately 40cm x 35cm when closed. The interior is ornate and interesting, with painted marble effect, a miniature altar, and a gilded reredos with a fold-out cherub baldachin. This piece was on sale at the time of writing with an antique dealer in Germany for around 4000 Euros through the website 1st Dibs.

(Credit: 1st Dibs)

Now let’s look at larger portable altars, which are more accurately described as movable furniture. These have legs and more closely match the proportions of full-sized altars. There are basically two types in this category: table form and cabinet form.

The first is a table-type 17th-century Filipino altar. It was one of several similar historically important altars sold at auction for around 14,000 Euros at the Leon Gallery in Makati City in June 2026. These belong to a group known as “dinemonyo” or “with demons” altars, referring to the shoulders carved with grotesque masks. These were surely intended to function like gargoyles in European Christian architecture. This example was made in Manila from local timber and reflects the period's Portuguese colonial style. The mensa sits above two frieze drawers for storage.

(Credit Leon Gallery) 

The next example is another 17th-century colonial piece, this time from Mexico. It is also highly interesting. At the time of writing, it was available from a dealer in Mexico via the antiques site 1st Dibs for around 25,000 Euros. It is a cabinet-form piece and is highly ornate, with painted decoration.

(Credit: 1st Dibs)

The top lifts to create a reredos with three panels showing the Immaculate Virgin Mary flanked by Saint Augustine and Saint Anthony of Padua. These are separated by Solomonic columns. Two frieze drawers provide storage. The front has three rectangular panels with Saint Dominic flanked by the Virgin Mary with the Christ-Child, and Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The altar-cabinet is surprisingly compact, measuring 120cm x 75cm x 40cm.

Another example is an impressive Italian 18th-19th century full-height altar-cabinet. It may be unique and is a very interesting design. It sold for 1000 Euros at the DAMS auction house in Rome in July 2026. It is Neoclassical in style with painted decoration simulating different coloured marbles. The upper section has space for a central image with statue niches and space below for a tabernacle and Crucifix. There is even a gradine shelf. The mensa folds out above a recessed frontal with a central Cross. It measures 260cm x 135cm x 55cm.

(Credit: DAMS Auctions)

The final piece for this article is a fine Italian 19th century Neoclassical table-form altar. At the time of writing, Stefano Dini Antiques in Florence was offering it for 5500 Euros. It is another interesting design. The top lifts to form the reredos, which is finely painted with a central image of the Annunciation flanked by decorative panels. The mensa has an integral altar stone. The lower section has a pull-out altar step, which may be a unique feature. The altar measures 160cm x 115cm x 80cm.

(Credit: Stefano Dini Antiques)

Hopefully, this selection of portable or movable altars will stimulate further interest and discussion and inspire the design and production of new examples worthy of the Holy Mass.