In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as attendants, are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. Unlike the coronet or helmet and crest, supporters were not part of medieval heraldry. Early forms of supporters are found in medieval seals; as part of the heraldic achievement, they first become fashionable towards the end of the 15th century, and even in the 17th century were not necessarily part of the full heraldic achievement (being absent, for example, in Siebmachers Wappenbuch of 1605).