Woman's ceremonial blouse (Huipil)

Zigzags and diamonds are the two most common designs found on Maya textiles. They appera in countless variations as repeating patterns, as individual motifs and as discrete units within larger imagery. There has been much speculation regarding the symbolic interpretation of these two motifs. The zigzag has been variously identified as the 'feathered serpent,' a Maya deity; as the god of thunder and lightning, Tojil; or as a representation of the path taken by the Maya priest up the steep temple steps. Diamonds also have a variety of symbolic meanings. A plain diamond often refers to the universe; a rayed diamond may suggest stars, flowers, or the sun, while a stepped diamond often symbolizes the ceremonial plate, or plato de offrenda used in rituals.