Cuauhxicalli

A cuauhxicalli or quauhxicalli (Nahuatl: [kʷaːʍʃiˈkalːi], meaning "eagle gourd bowl") was an altar-like stone vessel used by the Aztec in sacrificial ceremonies,^[1] believed to be for holding human hearts.^[2][3] A cuauhxicalli would often be decorated with animal motifs, commonly eagles or jaguars.^[4] Another kind of cuauhxicalli is the Chacmool-type, which is shaped as a reclining person holding a bowl on his belly.^[5]

Gallery

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  Jaguar-shaped cuauhxicalli in the National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico
• 
  Cuauhxicalli in the shape of an eagle, from the Templo Mayor
• Video of a cuauhxicalli, National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico
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  Annotated image of a Cuauhxicalli sculpture