Almery, Ambry

Almery, atjmery, aumbrie, or ambry (from the medieval form almariwm, cf. Lat. armarium, "a place for keeping tools"; cf. O. Fr. aumoire and mod. armoire), in architecture, is a recess in the wall of a church, sometimes square-headed, and sometimes arched over, and closed with a door like a cupboard. It is sometimes a cabinet attached to the wall.

In Roman Catholic usage, when commonly called an ambry, it is traditionally located in the sanctuary (as in, the altar area) of a church and/or in the Baptistery, and is used for the storage of the oils used in sacraments: Oil of Catechumens, Oil of the Sick, and Sacred Chrism.

The term can also be used less formally to indicate a cabinet that contains the chalices, basins, cruets, etc., for the use of the priest; many of them have stone shelves. They are sometimes near the piscina, but more often on the opposite side. The word also seems in medieval times to be used commonly for any closed cupboard and even bookcase.