Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Paa Joe



This aeroplane coffin, made in 1951, was the first such coffin in Ghana. Made by brothers Kane and Adjetei Kwei, the coffin was their final gift to their 90-year-old grandmother who had never been in a plane but told them she often day-dreamed of flying.
The tradition for fish coffins is believed to have originated in the village Teshi, where fishermen were buried in two canoes bound together in the shape of a fish.



I was so happy to find information on Paa Joe today. When I was in 2nd grade I remember reading an article about him in Nation Geographic for kids. He's an artist/craftsman from Ghana that makes these amazing coffins to reflect the what the owners profession was during their life (prostitute to fisherman). It was such a beautiful amazing imaginative craft that I began to daydream about all the things I wanted to be burried in. And maybe that's a bit morbid ...but it was a light hearted funny idea at the time.