polyptych

American  

[pol-ip-tik] / ˈpɒl ɪp tɪk /

noun

1. a work of art composed of several connected panels.

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polyptych British  

/ ˈpɒlɪptɪk /

noun

1. an altarpiece consisting of more than three panels, set with paintings or carvings, and usually hinged for folding Compare diptych triptych

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Etymology

Origin of polyptych

1855–60; special use of Late Latin polyptychum < Greek polýptychon a register, roll, noun use of neuter of polýptychos having many folds. See poly-, diptych, triptych

Example Sentences

Museums have tried and failed in the past to assemble the remaining eight panels, spread among five museums in Europe and the United States, of the original 30-piece polyptych.

From Seattle Times

The statuesque figures in April Bey’s woven tapestry polyptych, “Sankofa, They/Them,” don’t so much look at you as through you.

From Los Angeles Times

In the early ’70s, they created a polyptych painting called “Biography of Our Contemporary,” which tells the story of growing up as a Russian Jew in 197 squares using eclectic styles of art.

From New York Times

He cites one of her more recent ventures: fine-art conservation involving the Ghent Altarpiece — “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb,” a 15th-century polyptych attributed to Hubert and Jan van Eyck, arguably among the most important paintings in history.

From New York Times

A bespoke glass case has been designed to house the polyptych, which consists of 12 panels, in optimum climatic conditions.

From BBC