The official chair of a bishop, from which a cathedral takes its name; often treated as an important work of ecclesiastical architecture, carving, and symbolic sculpture.
A cathedra is the ceremonial chair of a bishop and a visible sign of episcopal teaching authority. A cathedral is so called because it contains the bishop’s cathedra. Historic examples may be carved, architecturally framed, canopied, or incorporated into larger sculptural monuments.
Etymology
From Greek kathedra through Latin cathedra, “seat” or “chair.”
Sculptor Notes
A cathedra is simultaneously furniture, architecture, and symbol. The sculptor must preserve physical usability while giving the chair sufficient visual authority within the sanctuary. Bernini's Cathedra Petri shows how the seat can become the nucleus of an enormous sculptural composition.
References
https://resources.metmuseum.org/resources/metpublications/pdf/The_Building_of_the_Vatican_The_Papacy_and_Architecture_The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art_Bulletin_v_40_no_3_Winter_1982_1983.pdf