Coffin in the shape of an eagle
Teshie, Ghana
AD 2000
This wooden coffin in the form of eagle
with painted gold feather markings was made in the village
of Teshie in Ghana. It is lined with silk and red textiles
and stands on a green platform with carrying handles in each
corner.
The Ga people live in the south-east coast of
Ghana, including Accra the capital city. They revere
their ancestors and give great importance to funeral
celebrations. From the early 1950s they became well-known
for developing a new tradition of beautifully carved figurative
coffins. This practice is said to have originated in Teshie, a
fishing community in Accra. The earliest example was made in
1951 by two carpenters, Kane Quaye and his brother Ajetey, who
made a coffin in the form of an airplane to bury their grandmother
in 1951. This new style was successful in the community and Kane
Quaye developed it further with his apprentice Paa Joe. Such
artistic coffins have become very popular in Ghana and
internationally.
Ga coffins are made by specialist carpenters.
The carpenter will first make a drawing following a brief from the
deceased’s relatives. Families commission coffins representing the
life achievements or dreams of a deceased relative, or
characterising their personality such as an eagle, a car,
a plane, a bible, a fish, or a camera. Sometimes the deceased will
have prepared a design brief during his or her lifetime. Coffins
are made of wood and then painted. The deceased's body is washed,
dressed, adorned and laid out with the coffin open during the wake.
The coffin is then closed and carried to the burial ground.
This coffin was made in the workshop of
Paa Joe, who was trained by Kane Quaye. It was bought from the
workshop by the British Museum in 2000.