Inarchitecture andsculpture, apluteus (pluralplutei) is a balustrade made up of massive rectangular slabs of wood, stone or metal, which divides part of a building in half; in a church they fulfil the same function as aniconostasis orrood screen, separating the nave from the chancel.[1][2] They are decorated with frames in relief or richly decorated with figures or geometric motifs.
One set of examples is the so-calledPlutei of Trajan, discovered between theComitium and theColumn of Phocas in theRoman Forum in 1872 and another is thePlutei of Theodota.
