The console is a projecting structural element that, by being embedded in a wall, can receive loads and transfer them outward. It appears in nearly all architectural styles and varies greatly in size, material, and ornamentation. In antiquity, simple stone consoles supported roof cornices. During the Baroque period they became elaborately carved or chiseled decorative elements bearing balconies and bay windows. Consoles may be S-curved, volute-shaped, or formed as animal heads. In modern construction, consoles often appear as simple steel profiles supporting canopies or exterior staircases. The term is also used in furniture design for wall-mounted shelf tables.