The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) - Culture

The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) - Culture - Nairaland

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The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Nobody: 7:00pm On Nov 11, 2017*

Every culture has its unique funeral customs; but the most interesting ones usually come from those cultures that celebrate death instead of mourning it. Such is the way in Ghana, who honor their deceased ancestors by sending them off in the most insanely elaborate coffins you have probably ever seen. Larger-than-life-sized Nike trainers, Coca-Cola bottles, naked women, grand pianos. . . they can all serve as caskets for the dead.

In this Gold Coast Nation, the dead are seen as protectors of the living - spirits that dwell among us and interact with us on a daily basis. For this reason, it's important to keep the dead happy. One way to do that is to send them off in style, ferried to the hereafter encased in a one-of-a-kind work of art - a fantasy coffin.
Unless you've got a sense of humor about these things, it does seem a little morbid at first. But what's wrong with enjoying those last few moments of life with the people we love the most? After all, the Ghana fantasy coffin business has in itself become a great boon to the living of Ghana. And dead or alive, you have to appreciate that kind of legacy. Photos below. Read for more info after the photos.

cc bigfrancis21, Fulaman198, odumchi

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Nobody: 7:01pm On Nov 11, 2017

The whole idea of the fantasy coffin only dates back to about 1980, when coffin-maker Kane Kwei opened his first custom coffin shop in Accra. But the idea had been gestating for quite some time. His family says that the idea first came to Kwei in 1940, when the chief of his village died unexpectedly.

The people of the village wanted an elaborate coffin, but Kwei told them it would take some time. Instead, he suggested they bury the king in his palanquin, as had been done a few times in Ghana's history. Palanquins are those royal "taxis" you see carried around by teams of servants in movies. They did indeed bury the chief in his palanquin, and this reportedly served as the inspiration for Kwei's fantasy coffin business.

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Nobody: 7:02pm On Nov 11, 2017*

By far, the most popular burial coffin in Ghana is the cocoa bean pod. As you may know, a good amount of the world's chocolate comes from Ghana - cocoa is the country's second largest export. The cocoa bean is central to the lives of many Ghanans, especially those whose families have been working in the chocolate business for generations. And you thought YOU loved chocolate.

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Hashimyussufamao(m): 7:08pm On Nov 11, 2017

lalasticlala help me book one for that woman that said i will die in poverty

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Nobody: 7:08pm On Nov 11, 2017*

Kwei sells its coffins (those designed for actual burial) for a mere $125 USD. Which seems like a steal - until you remember that the average Ghanan only makes about $900 per year. That's 13 percent of their annual salary; a little less than two months worth.

As you might expect, a coffin that costs a lot can take months to pay for. But that isn't the only reason funerals in Ghana are routinely put off for months after death: all of these shops have waiting lists a mile long of people just dying to get into their products. (Yeah, that happened.)

Weirdly, this reality has spawned a sort of secondary cottage industry in Ghana. While before people were just buried in cheap, wooden boxes almost immediately after death, now they have to be embalmed, preserved and stored for weeks or months. This has built up a healthy secondary industry for morticians and funerals homes, which were practically nonexistent in Ghana 40 years ago.

The wait also gives families time to plan and show up for the massive parties that also accompany any funeral in the country - which hasn't hurt the catering business much, either.

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Nobody: 7:24pm On Nov 11, 2017

Different Status, Different Coffin

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Nobody: 7:33pm On Nov 11, 2017

Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Nobody: 7:36pm On Nov 11, 2017

More photos

Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by hahn(m): 7:39pm On Nov 11, 2017

Lalasticlala would most definitely qualify for a snake cheesy

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Nobody: 7:39pm On Nov 11, 2017

whatever your occupation, there's a coffin for you grin

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Nobody: 7:41pm On Nov 11, 2017

hahn:
Lalasticlala would most definitely qualify for a snake

You are absolutely right

Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Nobody: 7:43pm On Nov 11, 2017

Final photos...but there are even more custom coffins out here in Ghana.

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by makydebbie(f): 7:55pm On Nov 11, 2017

I find this very creative. Someone eventually got bored with the usual coffins we see. tongue

Lalasticlala which one will you go for?

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Nobody: 7:56pm On Nov 11, 2017

makydebbie:
I find this very creative. Someone eventually got bored with the usual coffins we see.

Lalasticlala which one will you go for?

Snake or Monitor Lizard Coffin

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Emvico34: 7:59pm On Nov 11, 2017

Lala what are u waiting for undecided

my friend come and take this thread to the promise land

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Augustap(f): 8:00pm On Nov 11, 2017

Which kind of coffin will be used to bury a known thief and a whor.e? grin

I love the creativity

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Augustap(f): 8:00pm On Nov 11, 2017*

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by makydebbie(f): 8:03pm On Nov 11, 2017

ScotFree:
Snake or Monitor Lizard Coffin

Hahahaha. Our very predictable Lala. grin

Lalasticlala let's hear from you. tongue

Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by makydebbie(f): 8:04pm On Nov 11, 2017

Augustap:
Which kind of coffin will be used to bury a known thief and a whor.e?

Who.re will be one massive dick. grin

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Sugar97(f): 8:14pm On Nov 11, 2017

Wow...really? Never knew anything like this ever existed. Interesting... shocked

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Nobody: 8:20pm On Nov 11, 2017

Sugar97:
Wow...really? Never knew anything like this ever existed. Interesting...

Yeah...it does. So many things about other cultures of the world we don't know about

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Nobody: 8:21pm On Nov 11, 2017

Augustap:
Which kind of coffin will be used to bury a known thief and a whor.e?

A big Penis like makky said

Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Augustap(f): 8:26pm On Nov 11, 2017

makydebbie:
Who.re will be one massive dick.

You this girl grin

Thief nko?

Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Augustap(f): 8:26pm On Nov 11, 2017

ScotFree:
A big Penis like makky said

Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by makydebbie(f): 8:38pm On Nov 11, 2017

Augustap:
You this girl
Thief nko?

Maybe gun or something he steals, infact maybe jail. grin

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Augustap(f): 8:49pm On Nov 11, 2017

makydebbie:
Maybe gun or something he steals, infact maybe jail.

My chest

You're something else debbie

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by makydebbie(f): 8:58pm On Nov 11, 2017

Augustap:
My chest
You're something else debbie

Not wishing you death tho, but if na you wetin you go choose? tongue

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by Augustap(f): 9:06pm On Nov 11, 2017

makydebbie:

Not wishing you death tho, but if na you wetin you go choose?

There's a lot to choose from:
Kentucky Fried Chicken Bucket
Ice cream cup
Smirnoff ice can
Most importantly, a red heart shaped coffin grin

You nko? Ghana Jollof Pot? grin

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Re: The Insanely Colourful, Elaborate, Custom Coffins From Ghana (photos) by makydebbie(f): 9:22pm On Nov 11, 2017

Augustap:
There's a lot to choose from:
Kentucky Fried Chicken Bucket
Ice cream cup
Smirnoff ice can
Most importantly, a red heart shaped coffin
You nko? Ghana Jollof Pot?

I'll also want ice cream cup. embarassed