Ghana’s fantasy coffins, a colorful celebration of life and legacy

A giant pink fish, a colorful peacock, an airplane painted with the national flag. These are just some of Ghana’s fantasy coffins, known as Abebuo, which translates to “proverb.”

Each piece is crafted not just to bury the deceased, but to embody the essence of their life. A farmer isn’t laid to rest in a car; instead his coffin might take the shape of the tools he used or the crops he cultivated. The design itself becomes metaphor, a wooden riddle, a final message left behind.

Fantasy coffins, while common among the Ga people of Accra, are becoming a widespread practice, offering a colorful alternative to simple wooden boxes.

When a family loses a loved one, they gather to decide how to honor them. They visit a carpentry workshop, some with a clear vision, others seeking the carpenters’ guidance to create a fitting tribute.

The choice depends on each person. A fishmonger might be remembered in the form of the fish he sold, down to its exact type. Lion-shaped coffins are reserved only for chiefs, as the animal is a symbol of power. In Labadi, a suburb of Accra, royal families are tied to their emblem, the rooster, a design reserved only for their lineage. The right to a particular coffin is never arbitrary; it reflects identity, occupation and status.

Each coffin takes about two weeks to complete. The cost, which starts at around $700, varies depending on the type of wood and the complexity of the design.

Funerals in Ghana are vibrant affairs. People see them as a final opportunity to honor the deceased, sparing no expense on ceremonies that feature music, dancing and vivid displays of cultural heritage.

But while families see fantasy coffins as tributes, collectors see them as art.

Nicolas Ablorh Annan, a coffin maker from Accra, said that while the practice of burying loved ones in fantasy coffins started among the Ga people, it has expanded across Ghana. For his family, it is merely a business. His great-grandfather started it, he said, and they continue to run it as a family enterprise, with no ties to the rituals.

Some coffins never hold bodies at all, destined instead for museums abroad. Annan said that international interest is growing, with many foreign clients ordering coffins primarily for exhibitions as art pieces. Currently, he is working on six fantasy coffins that will be shipped abroad the following week.

At funerals, the presence of a fantasy coffin transforms everything. Mourners burdened with grief find themselves captivated by the craftsmanship, the vivid colours, the detailed shapes, the boundless imagination.

“People forget for a moment what’s inside; they admire the coffin and the atmosphere shifts,” said Eric Kpakpo Adotey, a carpenter who specializes in fantasy coffins.

Laughter blends with tears, and the sorrow is softened by creativity. For those left behind, each coffin is more than a final resting place. It is a story carved in wood, a proverb to be read. MISPER APAWU, ACCRA, MDT/AP