The vegetal scrolls and volutes at the extreme edges of the first tier of saints, the stylized trees flanking God the Father, and the maize plant or tree at the crest are all innovations which Diego Chavez designed to give the impression of the verdant surface of a mountain. To further emphasize the effect he added two Maya cofradía members in traditional dress climbing upward along a rocky path of decorative beads. Instituted during the early Colonial period, Atiteco cofradías are a system of religious brotherhoods independent of the Catholic Church and in many respects function in direct conflict with it by practicing elements of traditional Maya religion.