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Introduction1. The Faces of the ClownAppearance and identityThe making of a faceKinds and scales of facial transformations in clownsThe crafting of a clown's make-upThe face of dominanceInterpreting the face of a clownThe modern face of the clownWhen clowns go post-modern2. The Costumes of the ClownsThe clowns' trunksSplendor and sophistication of the whitefaceThe auguste's misfits and tattersSociosemiotics and biosemiotics of clown costumesClowns in drag: cross-dressing and transvestism3. The Clown's WorkshopThe semiotics of artifactsA visit to Charlie Cairoli's workshopWhen clowns play magicClowns as craftsmen and engineersThe clown's barnyard4. The Semiotics of GagsWhat is a gag?Gags in contextRob Torres: a solo clown act in New YorkThe semiotic anatomy of gagsThe physics of gags5. The Game of the RulesThe language of clowningThe straight, the tight, and the looseIdentity: one in two, two in one6. Clown and Trickster Master of tricksToo good to be trueTransgression and consequencesMaster of fireThe trickster and his avatarsUnderstanding tricksters and clownsPeering in the cultural past: a reasoned speculation7. Clowns and Gender Play: Politics and Economy of SexBeyond sex and genderImages of desireAn odd coupleA "normal" coupleA bird taleGender play8. Clowns, Death, and LaughterDeath at the circusDeath of the augusteRealm of the macabre: ghosts, corpses, and skeletonsClowns and death in the arts: laughter at the edge9. Profaning the Sacred The avatars of ClownA grand narrative and its fractal performancesThe sacred and the profanePutting things inside out and upside down10. Clowns without BordersMapping clowns on the worldClowns without borders?Clowning beyond the cultural fencesClowning in JavaThe gentrification of clownsClowns with a missionConclusion: Contribution to the Theory of LaughterWhat is laughter?The meaning of laughterSenseless laughingLaughter as addiction: a hypothesis and an agendaReferences.