The Sanrio, like the Zuni, respected the spiritual dimension of animals. The frog-god, Keroppi, shows up in many Sanrio artifacts: pendants, pencil boxes, calculators, anoraks… you name it.
This particular Keroppi pendant would have been worn by a Fast Food Restaurant employee on the way to work, or would possibly have hung from the rearview mirror of a commuter’s automobile.
Keroppi figures are associated with water, prayers for rain, and (tee-hee) fertility. The slingshot in the left hand of this Keroppi suggests that it was a hunting amulet, intended to bring luck to the hunter.
The slingshot may also be a reference to Keroppi’s reputation as a mischief-maker or imp. (cf. Dennis the Menace)
