KILLER COFFINS SEND DEAD OUT IN FASHION

-Olivia Berry (Projects Abroad)

Ghana has a reputation for making very celebratory and attractive coffins. Funerals in Ghana are a time of celebration, and usually held many months after a person has passed away. This usually means there is a lot of time to create a wonderful coffin to represent aspects of the deceased person’s life.

George Machalin from ‘Perfect Aluminium’ Ltd in Moree has recently started making glass and aluminium coffins which he says must be beautiful because they act as a home in the afterlife. But he laments that after putting so much time into creating the coffin, it gets hidden underground, which is frustrating.

Mr Machalin saw the business opportunity of creating ‘everlasting’ coffins, and now sells a steady 4-5 coffins a month, which usually cost around 1,500 GHC.

The unusual coffins of Ghana are believed to have originated from the Ga people, from the south-east coast of Ghana, who revere their ancestors and give great importance to funeral celebrations. Their tradition of creating beautifully carved figurative coffins originated in the 1950s, allegedly in Teshie, a fishing community in Accra.

Sometimes coffin orders are collected from the deceased before they die, and are commissioned by the families. The coffins aim to characterise their personality such as a car for a businessman, a Cocoa pod for a farmer, a bible, or even a camera. The coffins function as status symbols and some communities even pool cash to help fund them.

The British Museum in London and other museums around the world display coffins made by Ghana’s most renowned coffin maker, Paa Joe.

Paa Joe was taught by Kane Quaye and his brother Ajetey, who developed the concept of a fish-shaped coffin for a fisherman even further and in 1951 made a coffin in the form of an airplane to bury their grandmother who grew up near the Kotoka Airport, and always wanted to fly. The Quaye’s thought they were honouring her wish and last request by letting her finally rest in an airplane.

In late 2010 the Daily guide reported there was a vast increase in Chinese-made caskets being imported into the country which appears to be killing the local furniture industry.

Ghana has huge opportunity to become world-leading in fantastical coffins, and the government should support local artisans to expand and export to other countries. The tourism industry can also benefit from the unusual coffin industry in Ghana with local tours and exposition.