Dead, Alive, or Undead?

Here's another of those mysterious plus-mark-eyed clowns:

I suppose this is a pot holder / hot pad... because it has a ring for hanging and is photographed next to a jug or kettle... But it looks more like a dishrag-- and one that has seen its share of use.

...Yuck.  A clown-shaped scrappy-looking thing like that could turn someone away from crochet for life.