Ghana’s Fantasy Coffins

The Kane Kwei Carpentry Workshop. Photo credit: Wikipedia

Funerals in Ghana are beloved for their celebratory air. “People will be saying things like, ‘Oh, Honey, no need to cook tonight, let’s go to the funeral,’ says one Ghanaian man, “[they’re] better than a party — you get to eat, drink, dance and cheer up the survivors of the deceased, whether you knew the person or not.” So it’s no surprise that one of the country’s most popular coffin options proves equally festive in its design philosophy. Know as “fantasy coffins,” the popular end-of-life receptacles are built in the coastal town of Teshie. There, local artisans are commissioned to make a highly personalized coffin by replicating the form of an item that was important to their loved one.

Photo credit: GhanaWeb

“People will be saying things like, ‘Oh, Honey, no need to cook tonight, let’s go to the funeral,’ says one Ghanaian man, “[they’re] better than a party — you get to eat, drink, dance and cheer up the survivors of the deceased, whether you knew the person or not.”

Sewing machines, running shoes, cars – the list of now cyber-famous fantasy coffins is constantly growing (even Coca Cola has made a cameo), with coffin artisans becoming more and more nuanced at their craft. Take Kane Kwei, a kind of celebrity apprentice amongst fellow coffin builders. Kwei knew that his grandmother had never flown in a plane, and he always remembered the look on her face as she stared up at the sky, wondering what it felt like to dart in and out of the clouds. When she passed away in 1951, Kwei felt he could finally give his grandmother the gift of flying by crafting her an airplane-themed coffin.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

“When she passed away in 1951, Kwei felt he could finally give his grandmother the gift of flying by crafting her an airplane themed coffin.”

“The people believe that when their loved ones die, they move on into another life,” says Ghana Web about the coffins, “and [they] make sure they do so in style.” Ostensibly, it may look like pure whimsy – but it’s an endeavor that, in many ways, asks a lot of the bereaved. Deciding the coffin’s construction is a lot of personal pressure – what if you pick the wrong object? It means channeling one’s grief into a creative outlet, no matter how difficult that feels, so that the memory of a loved can be preserved with a spirit of joy and light-heartedness that moves a family forward. Because as siblings, children, parents and friends, we like to believe that we’ll do everything in our power to show the people in our life that we care. And sometimes, that means building them an enormous pineapple.

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