retable

thumb|A simple shelf retable in Yorkshire thumb|On one strict definition, this French 17th-century construction is a retable rather than a reredos, as it is all one construction

A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum, it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate structure. A retable which incorporates sculptures or paintings is often referred to as an altarpiece.