"Oh I'll take this down to the charity shop" said my mother, missing hte part where no sane person is going to wear a clown suit.

"Nah" said I, "Have them dress him in it when they cremate him."

There was a pause and my throw-away joke started to slowly solidify into 'Yeah let's do that'.

A discussion was had with the mortician who had a bit of a worry that the costume would involve giant clown shoes which would prevent the coffin closing.

Luckily it wasn't that sort of outfit.

I told this to my dear friend who immediately envisaged someone trying to close a coffin onto a dead clown, only to have the big red nose go *Sad honk* every time there was an attempt to close the lid.

^ By Joseph Karl Stieler, 1825

^ By Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820

^ By Joseph Karl Stieler, 1816

^ with her daughters Joséphine and Eugénie by Andrea Appiani, 1809

^ By Andrea Appiani, 1807

^ By Paolo Caronni, 1808

^ 1810

^ 1810

^ 1814

^ The lacy cap she's wearing here was traditional for married women

Dress

c. 1931

Black velvet ankle-length with flared sleeves with linear burnout pattern, polychromatic beaded roundels at either side of collar, gathers at bust, bias-cut skirt, self-belt with matching clasp roundels.