The Symbolic Story Behind Starbucks Guatemala Antigua Coffee Bean Packaging The Resplendent Quetzal National Bird of Guatemala

The Resplendent Quetzal holds a sacred place in Mayan culture. Its tail feathers were highly valued and used for trade, but it was forbidden to kill the bird. The quetzal is also the name of Guatemala's currency, with this bird appearing on every banknote. I also noticed that when I finished drinking coffee the other day, the Starbucks Guatemala Antigua coffee bag also featured the quetzal, which shows that Starbucks puts thought into their packaging design.

Design Analysis of Starbucks Packaging

The materials used for Starbucks packaging are designed to maintain the freshness of coffee beans. The bag's color is brown. I think it was wise for them to use brown to reflect both the color of coffee beans and the earth. Brown can evoke the taste of soil. In the background design of the product, we also see triangular designs. These triangular patterns remind viewers of indigenous Guatemalan design elements. The design uses light brown colors. This choice appears to maintain an elegant aesthetic.

In the upper left corner, the image of the quetzal is depicted. This image holds significant symbolic meaning for the Guatemalan people. The illustration uses brown and white colors. The design creates the impression that it was constructed through cut-out shapes. Since this bird is so important to the Guatemalan people, improvements could be made. These enhancements might include making the bird more closely resemble its cultural representation. Here I've reduced the body size to expand the quetzal's wingspan. Behind the quetzal, there are seven diagonal triangular or nearly jagged lines. Their shape seems to resemble Pacaya Volcano near Antigua, Guatemala.

Historical Development of the Quetzal

Regarding this quetzal bird, FrontStreet Coffee would like to introduce its historical development here.

At the Wagner Free Institute of Science, over 100,000 specimens are displayed in their original Victorian format; the museum has barely changed since all specimens were exhibited in 1891. Therefore, this museum is not just a natural history museum but also a museum of the Victorian era. The specimens are systematically arranged for study: animals taxonomically (somewhat loosely in places, more precisely in others) on the left, and geological specimens on the right. It's likely that this bird (and most animals) was collected by the museum's second director, Joseph Leidy, or under his direction.

The quetzal is located in one of seven bird cabinets. Some cabinets have deeper connections, such as one for "shore birds." The quetzal comes from Guatemala; the cabinet also contains a pygmy owl, a ring-necked pheasant or Mongolian pheasant (from China), a Lewis's woodpecker (Oregon), a gamecock (Norway), and a kingfisher (Australia), along with about twenty other birds, also scattered globally. Some are small, like the sparrowhawk or pygmy owl; others are large, like the capercaillie. Consequently, the quetzal's context doesn't provide viewers with much information about the bird, such as what other animals or birds live in the same region, or similarities between birds of similar genera.

Cultural Significance and Conservation

The quetzal possesses a very long cultural history, from Mayan times to the present, and it remains important to local culture. Research into Mayan symbols and religion would reveal the beginning of this bird's significance. Similarly, the Aztecs later had a deity named Quetzalcoatl, or "feathered serpent," which also demonstrates the strong influence of this bird. During the colonial era, the Mayan city Xelaju (in Guatemala) was renamed Quetzaltenango. In following the cultural context that might explain why this bird was collected and displayed, this bird has a rich history.

The quetzal is a rainforest bird, and as we often hear, rainforests are rapidly disappearing. Therefore, the quetzal is listed as "near threatened," with its population decreasing. The quetzal can be used to explain the importance of saving rainforest habitats, or conversely, how deforestation could lead to the extinction of this magnificent species.

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