In Ghana, particularly among the Ga people of coastal fishing villages east of Accra, funerals are vibrant communal occasions marking the transition to the afterlife. Central to these ceremonies are elaborately crafted fantasy coffins—locally known as "abebu adekai" or coffins that communicate—that depict symbols reflecting the deceased’s life, profession, or personality. These coffins have gained international recognition through an exhibition titled “The Art Underground: Fantasy Coffins of Ghana” at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, running through September 2027.

The tradition traces back to the late 1950s when Seth Kane Kwei, a pioneering craftsman, fashioned the first fantasy coffin—shaped like a cacao pod—as a palanquin for a Ga chief. He soon extended the concept with designs such as an airplane coffin for his grandmother, enabling the spirit, or “sussuma,” to take flight. Since then, the tradition has been carried on by generations of artisans, including Eric Adjetey Anang, who serves as cultural consultant for the exhibition, and other notable coffin makers like Paa Joe (Joseph Tetteh-Ashong) and Daniel Mensah, known as Hello.

These coffins are traditionally carved from wawa, a soft local wood, and are shaped according to the deceased’s life story—ranging from sanitation trucks and human hearts to cars and even beer bottles. The creation process is highly improvisational and often inspired by direct observation. For example, Anang was recorded carving a fish coffin while using a frozen fish as a model. Choosing a design can be deeply emotional for families, who often arrive mourning and looking for a fitting tribute. The coffins typically cost between $600 and $800 and are funded partly by the community, whose members also contribute to food, drink, and funeral decorations.

The elaborate coffins serve not only as a final resting place but also as a means to celebrate the deceased's identity, with funerals sometimes drawing hundreds or thousands of mourners accompanied by dance, music, and ceremonial musket fires. Traditionally, death was handled by burying relatives beneath the family home floor, but British colonial laws introduced in the late 19th century required wooden coffins and burial in cemeteries for hygiene reasons, influencing the development of these symbolic designs.

While fantasy coffins hold special significance for venerable elders, exceptions exist. For instance, a young church singer who died at 29 was honored with a coffin shaped like a microphone topped with a piano, symbolizing his musical gifts in life and beyond.

Since the 1990s, these coffins have also gained prominence on the global art stage, sought by galleries, museums, and collectors. This international interest has provided artists with additional income—sometimes fetching prices of $10,000 or more for commissioned works—allowing them to experiment beyond funerary use. However, increased visibility has also led to issues such as grave robbing and coffin theft in Ghana, prompting families to break parts of the coffins before burial to deter thieves.

The artists face challenges beyond security concerns, particularly a decline in apprentices pursuing this demanding craft. Workshops that once trained multiple apprentices now see fewer young people willing to commit years to mastering the tradition.

Despite these challenges, the fantasy coffin tradition remains a powerful cultural expression. For many Ga, the inventive coffins affirm the belief that death is not an end but a continuation—a sentiment echoed by Paa Joe, who described death as “a continuum of life.”