Cuauhxicalli

Jaguar shaped Cuauhxicalli in the National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico

Cuauhxicalli in the shape of an eagle, from the Templo Mayor

A cuauhxicalli or quauhxicalli (Nahuatl pronunciation: /kʷaːʍʃiˈkalːi/, meaning "Eagle gourd bowl") was an altar-like stone vessel used by the Aztecs to contain human hearts extracted in sacrificial ceremonies. A cuahxicalli 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.