Why are there choices for mantlings and helmets?
The only part of a traditional coat of arms and crest that are unique to any given name are the elements and colors that appear on the shield and in the crest (the part above the helmet) and, if available, the motto. The helmet is occasionally specified, but usually it is not. Occasionally supporters are described. The shield shape, the mantling (the flowery design around the shield), the torse, and the helmet are subject to the discretion of the heraldic artist or the preference of the bearer. Heraldic artists in this century prepare designs based on “Blazons” or descriptions listed in several authoritative reference books. These blazons usually describe the shield, the crest, and the motto — nothing else. Indeed, ancient coats of arms often featured only the shield. Very few coats of arms have survived in graphic form showing the shield shape, mantling, and helmet of the design used by the original bearer; in most cases, only the “blazons” or descriptions remain. As for the charges
