A fisherman might be buried in a coffin shaped like a fish, a farmer in a cocoa pod, a businessman in a Mercedes-Benz. In Teshie, a coastal town near Accra, carpenters build figurative coffins that reflect the lives of the dead. Known as fantasy coffins, they have turned Ga funerals into a form of sculpture that collectors and museums around the world now seek.
The Ga tradition
The Ga people of the Accra coast believe that life continues after death and that the dead remain connected to the living. Funerals are major events. Figurative coffins, called abebuu adekai in Ga, express the identity and status of the deceased.
Origins
The modern tradition is often traced to Teshie in the mid-twentieth century. Seth Kane Kwei, a carpenter, is widely credited with popularising it. Accounts say he made coffins shaped like objects related to the dead person’s work or dreams.
Kane Kwei
Kane Kwei’s workshop in Teshie became famous. After his death in 1992, relatives and apprentices continued the work.
Paa Joe
Paa Joe, who trained in the Kane Kwei workshop, became one of the best-known coffin makers. His work has been exhibited internationally, and a documentary, Paa Joe and the Lion, told his story.
Shapes
Popular designs include fish, lions, eagles, cars, aeroplanes, mobile phones, bottles and Bibles. Some shapes carry symbolic meanings tied to family or chieftaincy.
International fame
Western audiences discovered fantasy coffins in the 1970s and 1980s. They were included in the 1989 Paris exhibition Magiciens de la Terre, and museums began collecting them.
Cost
Fantasy coffins are expensive compared with ordinary coffins and take weeks to make. Many families still choose plain coffins.
Workshops today
Teshie and nearby areas have several workshops. Some make coffins for burial; others make pieces for collectors and tourists.
Funeral culture
The coffins are part of Ghana’s elaborate funeral culture, which includes dancing pallbearers, posters and large gatherings.
How they are made
Coffin makers start with a wooden frame shaped to the design, then cover it with planks and carve the details. The finished piece is sanded, painted and lined with cloth. A complex design such as an aeroplane or a car can take several weeks, and workshops often have apprentices learning the craft.
Most coffins are designed to be forgotten underground. In Teshie, they are designed to be remembered, and some never get buried at all.
