Altar made of alder with a brown body and gilded columns

“The warm wood and restrained gold: everything here serves the silence and focus of the altar”

The proskomidi table, or altar table, stands in the altar, where the priest performs the proskomidia: the preparation of bread and wine for the Divine Liturgy. This proskomidi table is handmade from alder. The body has a warm brown color, and the twisted columns, frames of the openwork panels, and frieze with grapevines are adorned with light gilding made of mirror gold leaf. This combination makes the product solemn but not flashy, and it fits well with altars featuring wooden decoration.

Product Description

The corners of the body are decorated with four twisted columns with light gilding. They have carved capitals and stand on square pedestals adorned with rosettes. Between the columns are openwork panels with acanthus ornamentation and carved grilles framed by gilded frames of intricate shapes. Under the tabletop stretches a gilded frieze with grapevines, and the brown base has a carved ornamental belt.

The dimensions of the product are 1520 x 1020 x 1050 mm. The spacious tabletop allows for the free placement of disks, chalices, prosphora, and notes even during collective services, while the height of 1050 mm is designed for comfortable standing service.

Who it suits and who it doesn't

Technical Specifications

Advantages of the Material

• Clean carving. Uniform alder allows for the cutting of fine acanthus openwork, grilles, and clusters of vines without chipping.
• Even toning. Alder wood evenly accepts toning, so the brown body looks uniform across all surfaces.
• Lightweight large product. Alder is lighter than oak, making the altar table 1520 mm wide easier to transport and install in the altar.
• Reliable base for gold leaf. On the dense primed surface of alder, gold leaf lays evenly and retains its shine for a long time.

Workshop Traditions

The proskomidi table is made by the masters of the creative workshop of sacred products PIVTORAK & COMPANY in the city of Kosiv, Ivano-Frankivsk region. The combination of dark wood with light gilding belongs to the classic solutions of Ukrainian church art: gold only emphasizes the architecture of the product without overloading the altar space. Each column, panel, and cluster of vines is crafted by hand, and the gilding is applied layer by layer.

Care

• Place the proskomidi table away from heating appliances and direct sunlight
• Maintain stable humidity in the altar without sharp temperature fluctuations
• Clean gilded columns, frames, and frieze only with a dry soft cloth or soft brush, without water and cleaning agents
• Wipe brown surfaces with a dry or slightly damp cloth and immediately dry them
• Remove dust from openwork panels and grilles with a soft brush
• Do not use abrasives, solvents, and aggressive household chemicals

“What is prepared with love on the altar is offered to God with love”

📞 +380678018040
✉️ ivanvakh@gmail.com

The colors and shades of wood and gilding in the photographs may differ slightly from the actual ones due to lighting conditions during shooting and the settings of your device's screen.