Accra, Ghana (AP) – A plane drawn with giant pink fish, colorful peacocks and national flags. These are just Ghana Fantasy Coffins, known as Abebuo, is translated into “Proverbs.”
Each piece is created to not only fill the deceased, but to embody the essence of their lives. The farmer is not placed to rest in the car. Instead, his ffin may take the form of the tools he used or the crops he cultivated. The design itself is a metaphor, a wooden riddle, and the last message left behind.
Fantasy ffins, common among people in ga AccraIt offers a wide range of practice and a colorful alternative to simple wooden boxes.
When a family loses a loved one, they come together to decide how to honor them. They visit carpentry workshops, but some have a clear vision.
The choice depends on each person. The fishmonger may remember the exact type of fish he sold. As animals are symbols of power, lion-shaped ffin is reserved only for the chief. In Rabadi, a suburb of Accra, the royal family is tied to their coat of arms, designs reserved only for the ruler. Certain co-rights are by no means arbitrary. It reflects identity, occupation and status.
Each co-op takes about two weeks to complete. Costs start at around $700 and vary depending on the type of wood and the complexity of the design.
Funerals in Ghana are a lively matter. People view them as final opportunities to honor the deceased, and do not spend any money on ceremonies featuring vivid displays of music, dances and cultural heritage.
However, while the family sees fantasy ffins as tributes, collectors see them as art.
Accra ffin maker Nicholas Abrol Annan said that the practice of burying loved ones in fantasy co-beginning among the people of GA, but expanded throughout Ghana. For his family, it’s just business. His great grandfather started it, he said, and they have no ceremonies and continue to run it as a family business.
Some coffin will not hold any body destined for museums abroad instead. Anan said that international interest is growing and many foreign customers are ordering cos for exhibitions, mainly as artworks. Currently he is working on six fantasy co-shipping shipments abroad the following week.
At the funeral, the presence of fantasy ffin changes everything. Sorrows are plagued by grief, and you find yourself captivated by craftsmanship, vibrant colors, detailed shapes and endless imagination.
“People forget for a moment. I respect ffin and change the atmosphere,” said Eric Kupakupo Adote, a carpenter who specializes in fantasy ffins.
Laughter mixes with tears, and sadness softens by creativity. For those left behind, each co-op is more than a final resting place. It is a story carved into a tree and a proverb to read.
___
Follow the AP’s African report https://apnews.com/hub/africa
