A coffin for all events

A coffin for all events.

A coffin for all events.

Ghanaian art has tradition. The wood-carved figures of the Ashanti, first of all the roundfaced Akuaba , are famous all over the world like the hand weaved Kente shawls, sewed together from stripes of about a hands breadth. Every clan has his own pattern. You will find a lot of them in the State Museum in Accra, a paradise for lovers of african art, contemporary or traditional. In the streets, naive painters work out every motive in a mixture of spontaneous and copied styles. Nearly everywhere artists build small copies of for example cars out of wood or metal. InTeshi, a village 16 km east of Accra, you can order your own coffin. Wood-carved, painted and in every form you like. If you spent your life, working as a fisherman, you can get buried in a seaworthy 2 m boat model (including crew). People who only dreamt of having an own car get buried buried in a wooden Mercedes-Benz. The customers pay between 500 and 2000 DM for such examples of one-way art,which will leave a lasting impression on the day of their funeral. Until this day comes, the coffins are stored in the owners house-dreams of a future which will come true in the beyond.

Ghana Coffins from: Kane Kwei und Paa Joe

It is called, the uncle of Kane Kwei, an excellent fisher, has as he/it felt his/its end approaching, his/its nephew, a proficient carpenter asked, him/it a coffin, to do carpentry after the model of his/its fisher-boat. The second coffin was a Mercedes. On the day of the funeral, the coffin was escorted under big applause through the whole city. Since then, the more prosperous families carry her/its/their dead persons in coffins of most different forms to grave. With these extravagant coffins, that don't rarely cost a fortune, one honors the deceased and puts his merits and at the same time them/her/it of his/its clan to show. You/they are selected by the families of the deceased in accordance with the social position and the occupation of the dead person mostly, so a lion symbolizes the Stammeshäuptling for example, a Mercedes the boss of a Taxiunternehmens or a chicken the mother of a big-family.... This custom has become custom in the last twenty years and fastens in uncommon and new way at the tradition of the dead person-ceremonies in west-Africa. Kane Kweis art happens to a fate, with which was confronted only few artists since the old Egyptians,: The works, that he/it manufactures for his/its customers in the inland, are sunk in the earth and are withdrawn with it for always the gazes. So one can introduce itself that he/it is glad over jobs of tourists and foreign museums. On the 1989 in Paris shown showing " Magiciens de la terre " was done to as criticism at the modern western lifestyle the visitors particularly of Kweis white Mercedes, whom it apparently understood as irony. The Mercedes is

to be understood as the highest African symbol for wealth, social position and esteem. A week after Nelson Mandela had been released from the prison, the South African office of Mercedes-Benz announced, she/it will comply with the demands of her/its/their black workers and will make available a car for the leader of the anti-apartheid-movement in the value of 100 000 dollars. One can hardly introduce itself that the supporters of Lech Walesa or Martin Luther King would have insisted on such awards for her/its/their heroes. The South African workers brought the same, typically African symbol-understanding from the Mercedes to the expression that becomes clear in the car-coffin. Skillfully worked, costly coffins and extended burial-ceremonies are not admittedly seen gladly of the Christian churches, it expresses itself in it an old tradition however, namely the family, to offer his/its homage over the honor of the dead person. Hundreds of people took part for usual in the conventional funerals for high-ranking personalities, the for days extensively celebrated. With these rites, coffins hardly played a role with the African tribes then, they wrapped the dead persons into cloths or mats mostly in order to bury her/it/them. What made the celebrations so costly, meals and drink as well as gifts were for guests, Musician Tänzer and others. The expenses for a coffin of Kane Kwei correspond to a durchnittlichen Jahreseinkommen in Ghana normally, is carried by the whole family however. Kane Kweis modern art offers his/its clients a possibility to be in the habit of orthodox customs in remarkably unorthodox way.

I receive many inquiries where the shown coffins can be bought. Until I have better information, they try this address.

Ernie Wolfe Gallery
1653 Sawtelle Boulevard
Los Angeles , CA , 90025
Tel: +1 310 473 - 1645
Tel: +1 310 478 - 2960
dpswolfe@aol.com

This gallery focuses on various art from the sub-Saharan region of Africa. Works housed here include such creations as granary ladders, paintings, architectural sculpture, and tribal furniture. The artists represented here hail from a number of African countries including the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Kenya. Joseph Bertiers, Nicholas Damas, Kane Kwei and Dada Okef are just some of the names found here, names which are certainly familiar to fans and collectors of African Art.




Ghana Coffins from:	Kane Kwei und Paa Joe
It is called, the uncle of Kane Kwei, an excellent fisher, has as he/it felt his/its end approaching, his/its nephew, a proficient carpenter asked, him/it a coffin, to do carpentry after the model of his/its fisher-boat. The second coffin was a Mercedes. On the day of the funeral, the coffin was escorted under big applause through the whole city. Since then, the more prosperous families carry her/its/their dead persons in coffins of most different forms to grave. With these extravagant coffins, that don't rarely cost a fortune, one honors the deceased and puts his merits and at the same time them/her/it of his/its clan to show. You/they are selected by the families of the deceased in accordance with the social position and the occupation of the dead person mostly, so a lion symbolizes the Stammeshäuptling for example, a Mercedes the boss of a Taxiunternehmens or a chicken the mother of a big-family.... This custom has become custom in the last twenty years and fastens in uncommon and new way at the tradition of the dead person-ceremonies in west-Africa. Kane Kweis art happens to a fate, with which was confronted only few artists since the old Egyptians,: The works, that he/it manufactures for his/its customers in the inland, are sunk in the earth and are withdrawn with it for always the gazes. So one can introduce itself that he/it is glad over jobs of tourists and foreign museums. On the 1989 in Paris shown showing " Magiciens de la terre " was done to as criticism at the modern western lifestyle the visitors particularly of Kweis white Mercedes, whom it apparently understood as irony. The Mercedes is	to be understood as the highest African symbol for wealth, social position and esteem. A week after Nelson Mandela had been released from the prison, the South African office of Mercedes-Benz announced, she/it will comply with the demands of her/its/their black workers and will make available a car for the leader of the anti-apartheid-movement in the value of 100 000 dollars. One can hardly introduce itself that the supporters of Lech Walesa or Martin Luther King would have insisted on such awards for her/its/their heroes. The South African workers brought the same, typically African symbol-understanding from the Mercedes to the expression that becomes clear in the car-coffin. Skillfully worked, costly coffins and extended burial-ceremonies are not admittedly seen gladly of the Christian churches, it expresses itself in it an old tradition however, namely the family, to offer his/its homage over the honor of the dead person. Hundreds of people took part for usual in the conventional funerals for high-ranking personalities, the for days extensively celebrated. With these rites, coffins hardly played a role with the African tribes then, they wrapped the dead persons into cloths or mats mostly in order to bury her/it/them. What made the celebrations so costly, meals and drink as well as gifts were for guests, Musician Tänzer and others. The expenses for a coffin of Kane Kwei correspond to a durchnittlichen Jahreseinkommen in Ghana normally, is carried by the whole family however. Kane Kweis modern art offers his/its clients a possibility to be in the habit of orthodox customs in remarkably unorthodox way.