A triptych is a picture or carving in three distinct parts, usually comprising a central panel with wings either side. The lateral wings may be moveable, as in the Daddi triptych in the Courtauld collection, or they may fixed as in the triptych (fig.1) by Bernardo Daddi of the Virgin and Child with saint and angels, now located in the Museé du Louvre, Paris, which has scenes from the life of Christ on the side wings.
A tabernacle is a triptych with hinged wings, which act as shutters over the central section when closed together. Such a structure provides protection for the inner parts, and facilitates their concealment, except at certain specified times. The central part of a tabernacle may comprise a flat panel with a painting upon it, or a niche containing a statue or a relief. Tabernacles vary in the material used, the size and shape, although they are usually rectangular or gabled, and may have an inscribed arch or a pediment.
