Ghanaian Caskets

Fantasy Coffins of Ghana Claire Le Guen ARTH 209 8/17/2010 Professor Diala Touré

Figure 1: Fantasy Caskets on display at Paa Jo's Work Shop1

Coffins From Ghana. (n.d). GhanaWeb. Retrieved from: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/photo.day.php?ID=52081

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The definition of art has often been a topic of contention, but in the case of works coming from Africa, this question reaches new levels of confusion. Ever since the arrival of outsiders from the western world, indigenous objects have been taken from the continent and displayed and appreciated as works of art. There is still much discourse as to whether the objects can be considered art and if their display in European settings is ethical or accurate. Africa, being such a dynamic and creative continent, continues to produce new works, and even these modern creations do not escape the same treatment of ancient African artifacts. Examples of these new creations are the embellished coffins, produced in Ghana, which are commonly known as fantasy coffins. These works have been transplanted and showcased as works of art in many foreign galleries despite the contradiction with their original purpose. However, these objects are much more than their physical appearance and provenance, which is generally all that is appreciated by art collectors. In fact, these coffins serve an important function and have a specific role in its cultural dimension. To strip these coffins down to merely their shells is superficial and lacking in the depth which makes the objects so formidable and breathtaking. These coffins have a specific role to play in one of the most important initiation rites in African culture and they must be viewed in the scope of its entirety. Abebuu adekai, which literally means “receptacles of proverbs,” is the original name for what is internationally known as fantasy coffins.2 The coffins are a recent creation, dating back to the 1950’s with their popularity and prevalence increasing...