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Images of Quararibea species (Q. guatemalteca or Q. funebris) in floral form can be seen on a cylindrical jar that was used to serve a sacred chocolate beverage to the elite of the ancient Maya. Bombacoideae flowers, seeds, and endocarp hairs can also be seen on Maya pottery.

A cylindrical cacao pot with an image of a bombacoid-like flower connected to a Maya male official's hat.

On a cylindrical cacao drinking jar, the smaller, white-flowered Quararibea funebris or Q. guatemalteca blossoms seem to be depicted.

This species was employed to flavor and froth cacao beverages, making it a suitable choice for the vessel's portrayal.

The depiction of cacao beverage and ceiba leaves with the elite further emphasizes the importance of the plants. In the mythology the ceiba branches, leaves, and flowers represent a connection to the heavens. The Maya revered their elite as the messengers for the Gods and this could explain the imbibing of the ceiba flower and its presence in the hat of the elite. The messengers are literally drinking of the heavenly plant and keeping it above them to emphasize the meaning.

Another example of the importance of the flower is the hieroglyph for “zero.” The flower being the symbol tells us that this monumental mathematical concept. Zero being the beginning of their number system alludes that the flower (heavens) being the beginning of their creation. From the gods creating the tree, the tree birthing the people, to the people depicting the heavens we see the symmetry that the Maya loved in the artwork.

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Where Found: Palenque, Chiapas
Date: estimated the seventh century

This is a variation of the Maya world tree with lengthy leaves. The water lily monster, also known as the chac-mool. According to Maya mythology, the chac-mool was a powerful, supernatural being associated with water, fertility, and the underworld. The world tree is so ingrained in Maya mythos we see references even when not explicitly depicted. We see the tree iconography depicted throughout this entire art piece emphasizing the importance of agriculture in the Maya civilization. The tree of life and the tree-like globe are both examples depicted in this art piece. Branches in the ceiba tree represents the heavens and in this picture we see the motif appear once again where we see gods at the ends of these branches. The water lily, another important plant to the Maya, is depicted amongst the gods, the world and the heavens. We see the emphasis of their 3 worlds. A trait shared with the Ceiba Tree in the creation mythos. The various depictions of similar ideas tell us how monumentally important this concept is and therefore the importance of the plants. The fact that the Ceiba tree encompasses the ideas found throughout Maya artwork, in this case the water lily monster, points to the significance of the Ceiba to the Maya

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Where Found: On a cylindrical cacao pot

In this ceramic artwork by the Maya people we see a variety of objects with cultural importance. Along with the elite, which the Maya people revered, we see the ceiba plant in this mural. The depictions of the ceiba tree the dehisced fruit and seed with fibers are seen, depicted in the cushions and pillows. The elite on the sacred tree seeds and fibers allude to the housing in the Maya site where their housing was on the caves implying that they are the owners of the creation and therefore the people.

The sacredness of the elite is known and this artwork gives the ceiba tree the same respect. The ceiba tree represents the known universe to the Maya people and as it stands, the proper treatment of immortalizing the plant is given.

The immortalization continues in the figure where we see the master ceramic work of the Maya people. The artist took the time to place important cultural items together to commemorate the sacredness of the objects. The sacred elite and the sacred ceiba.

The elites’ headdresses are depicted in the artwork where they sit upon the ceiba tree seeds. These headdresses represent power and class for the wearers due to the rarity and beauty of the quetzal feathers which are a bright green. It makes sense for these feathers to be depicted in the same image as the Ceiba seed due to their name for it: The Green Tree. Just like the important stone, jade, the color is important to the Maya people and it extends to the ceiba plant.

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Found: West Wall, San Bartolo, Guatemala. Drawing of the stucco on the wall.
Date: estimated first century BC

Pictured is a cosmic bird that has sacrificed an emblematic serpent is supported by a kapok tree. The bird's wings, pectoral medallion, and fragrant tail all have similar floral patterns. We also see a priestess or goddess bowing before the anthropomorphic demiurge while wearing a headpiece with a trio of water lily motifs. The gourd perched above the flowers is connected to the creation of human infants.

The kapok tree (i.e Ceiba tree) is the perch of the Maya principal bird deity. This deity is acting as a god by sitting on the Ceiba tree. This depiction of the priestess being fooled into praising the god shows the importance of the ceiba tree. The jewels the bird wears to imitate a true gods light while standing on the part of the ceiba tree that represents the heavens is enough to fool a priestess or goddess. The symbolism could mean that the bird on the tree is attempting to be amongst the gods. Exactly, where we see the floral motifs is from the snakes decapitated head and it supposedly to give off signs of floral aroma, the women also has three flowers on top of her head which look like water lilies. Among the gods, the world, and the heavens are images of the water lily, another significant plant to the Maya. Their three worlds' emphasis is clear to us a characteristic that the Ceiba Tree shares in the origin myth.

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The Ceiba tree played a significant role in the culture and mythology of the ancient Maya civilization. The Ceiba tree is a well-known representation of the former Maya culture. It is a huge, majestic tree that is native to Central America and the Caribbean and can grow as high as 150 feet. The Maya held the Ceiba tree in high regard. The significance of the Ceiba tree to the Maya is seen in their sculptures and artwork. It was frequently linked to the gods and utilized as a sign of strength and power. The representation of trees in many works of art highlights various themes, such as the value of agriculture to the Maya society. The cushions and pillows were made from the Ceiba Trees brown seeds. Since the majority of the population farmed, they were famous for raising maize, beans, and squash. It is assumed that they were drawn to jade because they spent most of their time around plants due to farming and the surrounding natural environment. This turned into a sort of currency for the populace, leading to the name "Green Tree" for the Ceiba tree. Another part of the tree that was represented through the Maya people’s art were the spikes that develop on the Ceiba tree's trunk and that the Maya people placed on ceramics. The tree serves as a conduit between the heavens, the earth and the underworld. The branches, leaves, and blooms of the Ceiba are said to have a connection to the skies in mythology for example because of how tall this tree can get, the branches of the Ceiba tree are said to symbolize the skies. The hieroglyph meaning "zero" on the flower is significant. The fact that the flower is the symbol tells us about this enormous mathematical idea. Overall, the Ceiba tree served as a powerful symbol for the pre-Columbian Maya, and art is just one way the Maya people have expressed how significant the tree is to them. The Maya people of today continue to demonstrate the significance of this tree via their ceremonies and reverence by avoiding cutting the tree whenever possible. The significance of the Ceiba tree has endured through the ages for the Maya. The Ceiba tree was a significant symbol in the culture and mythology of the ancient Maya civilization, as seen in its depiction in Maya art and its practical uses in everyday life, and its significance has endured through the ages for the Maya people.

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Typical tuberances on Maya ceramics are depicted in the image above. Bombacoid trunk spines have a distinct cone shape, which distinguishes them from spines of other woody plants growing in the region. Ceiba trunk spines are the closest morphological match to the spines placed on the ceramics.

Most frequently, trunk spines are depicted as appliquéd (applied afterwards) decoration on ceramics that are unpainted or only lightly painted, such as funeral urns and incensarios which are connected to Maya ceremonies of sacrifice and death.

Animals are frequently connected with vessels with spikes or "spines" kings and gods are also shown on these ceramics.

The importance of the story behind the Ceiba tree can be noted in these beautiful workpieces that surround important times of not just the Maya people’s lives, but all humanity: death. The spikes grow on the ceiba trees trunk and in the mythos of creation surrounding the story they represent the people. The Trunk of the Ceiba is the people on the world and the spikes are the main focus. The noticeable spikes make it into the Maya artwork surrounding sacrifice and death. The tree connects the gods to the people to the underworld. The spikes may be placed on the ceramic pieces as a remembrance that they are the trunk and therefore connected to the underworld and the heavens.

So the dead’s souls do not get lost they are given symbolic spines so they do can be part of the bridge that connects all three dimensions.