Overview
- Accra artisans say international interest is climbing, with Nicolas Ablorh Annan preparing six pieces for shipment to museums and foreign clients next week.
- The bespoke coffins originated with the Ga community in Accra and are now used across Ghana.
- Designs serve as personal emblems of a life, with certain forms restricted to status or lineage, such as lions for chiefs and roosters for Labadi royal families.
- A typical piece takes about two weeks to build, with prices starting near $700 depending on materials and complexity.
- Funerals featuring these coffins are lively communal events where craftsmanship can briefly shift mourners’ focus from grief, according to makers.