Ghana’s Fantasy Coffins

A tribe called the Ga in the African country of Ghana is making a splash with its “fantasy coffin” designs. The coffins come in creative designs like fish and Coke bottles and cell phones, allowing families to bury their loved ones in a vessel that reflects their life and their work.

This relatively new tradition began about 50 years ago with crafter Ata Owoo, who was well-known for magnificent chairs for transporting the village chief. Owoo’s designs eventually caught the eye of a neighboring chief, who commissioned a chair in the shape of a cocoa pod. But, the chief passed away before the chair was finished, so it became, instead, his coffin.

Now, the open-air showroom of the coffin makers is a tourist attraction in the city of Teshie, a suburb of the capital city Accra. They even have tour guides to lead visitors through the showrooms. Several coffins are also on display worldwide at various museums.