However, while all to those particular veiling practices are well enough known, what is less known is that historically as well the screen which separated the altar and sanctuary from the rest of the church building also utilized veils. In this particular instance, these veils were placed in the open spaces between the columns of the balustrade, and, symbolically speaking, functioned very much akin to how the Holy of Holies was veiled within the Jewish temple insofar as they functioned as sanctuary veils that concealed the priestly space where the Eucharistic sacrifice is confected from the rest of the church.
An example of how this type of veiling would have appeared in earlier times can still be seen Athens' Little Metropolis church (and while some icons can be found here, representing a later development, one still get a good sense of how veils would have been used in relation to the balustrade).
Extant examples of early veils are few and far between, but period descriptions of them tell us of their existence as well as the fact they frequently had embroidered images and designs on them.
In the East, the use of veils on the balustrade was a precursor to what would eventually become a full fledged iconostasis, with icons replacing the veils and permanently enclosing the balustrade, turning it into a kind of wall. However, remnants of this earlier veiling practice still remain -- even if only barely. If you look at many an iconostasis, you will see the three doors or gates through which the clergy pass in and out from. In many instances, these gates are accompanied still by veils, descendants of the earlier, fuller veiling practice.
The usage seen at the Little Metropolis church of Athens is much less common, but here are a few illustrations of the kind of usage on might more likely see:
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| (Source) |
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| (Source) |
This type of usage saw the veils now restricted in size and placement to the gates of the 'modern' iconostasis. The Byzantines would frequently ornament these with cross designs, or sometimes figurative designs of patronal saints or important feast days. Here are just a few examples of antique Byzantine sanctuary veils from the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. (From their size, it seems fair to say most of these would have been placed behind the 'royal doors' -- or 'beautiful gate' -- as in the illustration immediately above.)
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| 17th century with a depiction of St. John the Baptist (Source: Byzantine and Christian Museum) |
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| 17th century with a depiction of St. Nicholas. (Source: Stavronikita Monastery, Mount Athos) |
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| 19th century with a depiction of the Baptism of Christ (Source: Byzantine and Christian Museum) |
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| ca. 1800 (Source: Byzantine and Christian Museum) |
