Coffins to die for December 9, 2010
Posted by jasoncondie in Art, Photography, Thoughts, Travel.Tags: bbc, beer bottle, bright colours, carving, cigerette, Coca-cola, coffins, death, fish, funeral, Ga, Ga tribe, Ghana, Mercedes, planes, sneaker, tribe
trackback
A BBC In Pictures article got me thinking about death again. Or rather, the celebration and remembrance of life. Preserving my karaoke efforts in vinyl was my last will and testament until I read about the the Ga tribe of coastal Ghana. The Ga people carve intricate, brightly coloured, cartoony coffins, representing and celebrating the lifestyles of the deceased. Career caskets such as fish for fisherman or planes for pilots. Or sinful sarcophagi reflective of failings: Coca-cola, cigarette, beer bottles etc. Even fanciful symbolism like Mercedes cars or sneakers. Truly amazing craftmanship – now if only I could ‘whittle down’ my vices….
Which vice to choose... fags, beer or fish?
Saw some of these on the show Amazing Race. The contestants had to cary a coffin across town. Some were very elaborate.