A ''cuauhxicalli'' or ''quauhxicalli'' (, meaning "eagle gourd bowl") was an altar-like stone vessel used by the Aztec to hold human hearts extracted in sacrificial ceremonies. A cuauhxicalli would often be decorated with animal motifs, commonly eagles or jaguars. Another kind of cuauhxicalli is the Chacmool-type, which is shaped as a reclining person holding a bowl on his belly.

Gallery

File:20041229-Ocelotl-Cuauhxicalli (Museo Nacional de Antropología) MQ.jpg, Jaguar-shaped cuauhxicalli in the National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico File:Mighty carved stone eagle.jpg, Cuauhxicalli in the shape of an eagle, from the Templo Mayor File:Cuauhxicalli, National Anthropology Museum, Mexico City.webm, Video of a cuauhxicalli, National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico File:Cuauhxicalli image.jpg, Annotated image of a Cuauhxicalli sculpture

References

Religious objects Indigenous sculpture of the Americas Aztec artifacts Mesoamerican stone sculpture Articles containing video clips {{Mesoamerica-stub