Universal figures, the clowns who surprise passers-by in the alleys of Castellar in the Alpes-Maritimes department are representative of national stereotypes. Each nation has created a caricatural character in its own image to synthesize its own tastes and make fun of its own faults. The Germans have Hanswurst, the Dutch the Pickled-Herrings while the English make fun of Jack Pudding, the Spaniards of the Gracioso, the Italians of the Pagliacio, and the French have Pierrot, Arlequin, and Polichinelle.