Ciborium (architecture)
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In ecclesiastical architecture, a ciborium is a canopy or covering supported by columns, freestanding in the sanctuary, that stands over and covers the altar in a church. It may also be known by the m
Ciborium of Sant'Ambrogio, Milan; note the rods for curtains. The columns are probably 4th century, the canopy 9th, 10th or 12th century.
The Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, Croatia. The columns are 6th century, and canopy from 1277.
Basilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome, by Arnolfo di Cambio
Basilica di San Nicola in Bari, Italy
Baldachin
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A baldachin, or baldaquin, is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, p
Ciborium (architecture)
…supported by columns, freestanding in the sanctuary, that stands over and covers the altar in a church. It may also be known by the more general term of baldachin, though ciborium is often considered more correct for examples in churches. A baldachin (originally an exotic type of silk from Baghdad) should have a…
Marie Antoinette's bed, which has a baldachin, in the Petit Trianon (Versailles, France)
Enthroned Virgin Mary with cloth of honour by Hans Memling
State bed of Louis XIV, Chambre du Roi, Versailles
Bernini's "Baldacchino" in St Peter's, Vatican City