Custom made Coffin Designs in Ghana
Ghanaians take pride in creating coffins that reflect the lives, passions, and status of the deceased. Funerals are a big deal in Ghana because loved ones believe that the dead deserves the best send-off. In Ghana, the fantasy or figurative coffins are also known as custom or proverbial coffins (abebuu-adekai).
These types of coffins are mostly used by the Ga (Ga tribe) people who are based in Accra in southern Ghana. You’ll mostly see custom-made coffins like these in places like Nungua and Teshie and now emerging in other west African countries like Togo.
Depending on the lifestyle the deceased lived on earth, his/her coffin is custom-made to fit exactly that. If the deceased was a cocoa farmer, he/she can be buried in a custom-made cocoa pod and if the deceased was a fan of music or a musician, the coffin can be designed like a musical instrument.
The custom-made coffins from Ghana are made by skilled carpenters from the Greater Accra Region. These colorful designs, which were created from the figurative palettens, are not only coffins but also considered works of art. They were first shown to a wider Western audience in 1989 at the Musee National d’Art Moderne.
How much do funerals cost in Ghana?
According to an interview BBC granted with one of the coffin makers in Accra, a typical custom-made coffin can cost anywhere from $500 to as high as $2500.
Read also: Ghanaian coffin dancers.
