Why thank you Kerry! This is fun!
Now what the hell IS that thang?
I'm tempted to say "I don't know what it is" but I won't go that route. So....
Those figures on the side of the object (the handles) look Aztec or Mayan, or even maybe Inca. Some of those tribes (I think the Mayans) offered hearts and blood to their gods, so I'm guessing it is a container to hold the hearts of sacrificial victims".