Why does sinister mean the viewer’s right side of a heraldic shield?

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Image shows a seal depicting several mythical creatures fighting. — heraldry Cylinder seal impression from the Akkadian period with a combat scene between a bearded hero and a bull-man and various beasts.

In the context of heraldry, the terms dexter and sinister refer to the right and left sides of the shield, respectively, from the perspective of the person holding it.1

The reason sinister indicates the viewer's right side is that a heraldic shield is described as if it were being held by a user whom the observer is facing. Because the shield is oriented toward the viewer, the shield's own "left" side (the sinister side) is positioned on the viewer's right. Conversely, the shield's "right" side (the dexter side) is positioned on the viewer's left.1

This convention is fundamental to the technical language of armorial bearings, ensuring that descriptions of designs—such as a bend sinister—remain consistent regardless of who is observing the shield.21