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
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