A baldachin, or baldaquin (from ),'s a canopy of state over an altar or throne. It'd its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it's a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over high altars in cathedrals, where such a structure may be called a ciborium when it's sufficiently architectural in form. A cloth of honour's a simpler cloth hanging vertically behind the throne, which may be combined with a canopy. In the Middle Ages, a hieratic canopy of state or cloth of st… (More on Baldachin)