Video.
Ghana’s fantasy coffins turn funerals into life stories
Updated: 03/09/2026 – 13:28 GMT+2
In Accra, Ghanaian coffin makers craft guitars, shoes and microphones to reflect the lives, work and passions of the people they are made for.
Ghaniana coffin makers craft elaborate wooden caskets shaped like shoes, guitars and microphones, turning funerals into a final reflection of the deceased’s life.
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This footage shows carpenters sanding, painting and finishing the unusual designs before a guitar-shaped coffin is taken to a funeral and later lowered into a grave.
The tradition is particularly associated with Ga communities around Ghana’s capital, Accra. Customers often choose a shape linked to the loved one’s work, interests or passions.
Coffin makers say the designs reflect a belief that people continue what they did during their lifetime in the afterlife.
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