Coffins in Ghana

May 7th, 2008

Coffins

That pic looks like a bunch of superfun bumper cars right? They’re actually coffins from Ghana—love that PT Cruiser. Original story:

The coffins are designed to represent an aspect of the dead person’s life — such as a car if they were a driver, a fish if their livelihood was the sea — or a sewing machine for a seamstress. They might also symbolize a vice — such as a bottle of beer or a cigarette.

Ablade Glover, an artist who works with the carpenters, says the coffin acts as a home in the afterlife, so it must be beautiful. But he laments that after putting so much time into creating the coffin, it gets hidden underground.

More images:

Coffins in Ghana 2

Coffins in Ghana 3

Coffins in Ghana 5

Via Core 77.

  • 3 Comments

Conversation:

  1. John M. says:

    So, I guess the guy buried in the Coke bottle coffin drank a lot of Coke.

  2. Hank says:

    Happens in the US, too, but not nearly as carefully crafted.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24463225/

Trackbacks...

  1. [...] way, Delicious Ghost points to this Ghanaweb writeup, with more pictures: “The Ga people [of Ghana] believe that [...]

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