Eagle head

Eagle head, stone, Mexica-Aztec, c. 1325-1521 CE, Ethnological Museum, Berlin (collected by Carl Uhde in the 1830s, acquired in 1862)

The eagle was the largest bird of prey in the regions inhabited by the Aztecs. It stood for the day sun and was closely connected with human sacrifice. The hearts were offered in so-called eagle vessels made of stone. In Nahuatl ‘eagle’ is quauhtli and eagle vessel quauhxicalli.

From the museum caption.

Photo kindly taken and sent by Rob from Germany.