In Ghana, Coffins Shaped Like Crabs and Planes Start Around $700

Coffin makers in Ghana, like Daniel Obele Mensah, build coffins that look like giant crabs, airplanes, and fish. They are not toys. In Accra, these coffins are made to show the life of the person who has died.

The coffins are called abebuu adekai in Ghana. The shape is not usually chosen by chance. A fisherman may be buried in a fish or a boat. A farmer may be buried in a chicken or a pepper. A pilot may be buried in an airplane. Some families choose a shape because of something the person loved. For example, a person who loved Coca-Cola may be buried in a giant Coca-Cola bottle.

Making one coffin takes about two weeks. The maker carves, assembles, and paints the wood. Prices start around $700, and a more detailed design costs more. The skill often passes from parent to child.

Eric Kpakpo Adotey, another coffin maker, says people "forget for a moment what's inside" and admire the coffin. At a funeral, people may still feel sad, but they also see a final story about the person's life.

Some coffins never hold a body. They go to museums and private collections abroad. After the funeral, most of these wooden sculptures go into the ground. They disappear, but the story they told remains.