For those wanting to rest in peace with a little style, Kane Kwei Workshop in Teshie, Accra in Ghana can box you up in fantasy or novelty coffins to suit you perfectly.
Dubbed abebuu adekai (proverbial coffins) in the local language, Eric Adketey Anang and his team of carpenters are producing fascinating and internationally renowned artistic designs for the best in novelty coffins seen anywhere.
The Inquisitr reported a while back on the not-quite-so-well-made product used in a funeral procession in Indonesia, where the body fell out of the bottom of the coffin and onto the street below. This would never happen in Ghana.
According to Atlas Obscura , the business started back in 1980 and has been thriving ever since. These designer coffins are specially and individually designed to represent the life of the deceased person.
For instance, someone might fancy a replica of some kind of old-fashioned sports car, as pictured above. A hairdresser might be buried in a replica of her favorite hair dryer, or a writer in a copy of his favorite pen. Crabs, chickens, you name it — the designs are never-ending. Imagine you were a pilot, flying with Nigerian Airlines — your designer coffin could be an airplane.
How awesome would it be to have a coffin like this! #ObscuraDay in Ghana May 30. http://t.co/rDftSAVEsM pic.twitter.com/Nt0S5tUAPL
— David Plotz (@davidplotz) May 10, 2015
It can be hard to imagine why someone would want their fantasy coffin to look like a container of condoms, but that has been done too.
Behold the Condom Coffin (made by Kane Kwei Carpentry Workshop) pic.twitter.com/kWCxIGgacP — Caleb Wilde (@CalebWilde) March 13, 2015
Possibly a runner would enjoy being laid to rest in a coffin shaped like a sneaker.
How about a coffin that looks like a realistic, oversized bug?
Don’t miss the photoshoot tonight with the coffin from #KaneKweiCarpentry specially made for #KwakuAnansemovie pic.twitter.com/ZmB2H5E8La
— Alliance française (@AF_Accra) July 4, 2013
Whatever a person desires, your wish is their command. Everything is possible when it comes to Anang and his gang of trusty workers in the way of designer coffins.
These bright, and often gaudy, novelty coffins suit the Ghanaian way of life, or should we rather say death. Ghanaians believe that a funeral should be a dual occasion, involving both the mourning and celebration of the person’s life.
Some of the traditional religions in the country offer that dead ancestors can impact the lives of the living they leave behind, so when holding a funeral, Ghanaians do it well. The ceremonies are elaborate, nothing but the best for their past friend or family member, and the celebrations that follow then ensure the goodwill of the deceased person.
Apparently the novelty coffins offered by Kane Kwei Workshop are nothing new, as the practice has been ongoing for many years, but the difference is that the business specializes in producing some amazing work. Now the whole idea of the “designer coffin” has taken the business to new heights.
Imagine a coffin in the shape of a bottle of your favorite beer, a bright lobster, a container of your favorite talcum powder. Whatever your wish, it can be granted in the form of a novelty coffin.
The video below tells more about the history of the shop, showing their designs for the novelty coffins and methods of working. The Ghana Coffin official website gives more details about the history of the fantasy coffins and methods of carpentry used.
If you had the chance to be buried in a novelty coffin, what design would you choose? Let us know below.
[Images: Kane Kwei Workshop CC by-SA Ekpene / Sports Car Coffin CC -by SA 1.0 Regula Tschumi / Sneaker Coffin CC -by SA Sabinekrippendorf ]
