14/11/2006
Pulpits
Like the iconostases and the Despotic thrones, so too the pulpit constituted an inseparable section in the liturgical life of the church, which were constructed from marble during the Byzantine period.
Later, mainly in the post Byzantine period, the pulpit was transformed into a wood sculptured piece of furniture and was placed in the north section of the main church, high up on the wall or on a column where there were aisles in the church such as for example at the churches of Aghios Demetrios at Frangades, of Aghios Nikolaos at Kepoi of Zagorion, of Aghios Charalambos at Preveza, etc.
We have observed that from the 17th century onwards there two main types of pulpits that were developed, the pyramid shaped and the ciborium shaped, as at Aghios Nikolaos at Tsepelovo, etc.
The sculptured decorative on the Pulpits, as with the other liturgical furniture of the church (Despotic thrones and icon stands), followed the decorative on the iconostases, which were usually created by the same craftsmen, except for rare cases.
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