In her text, Regula Tschumi describes the use of figurative coffins in Ghana, which are shaped like fish, cars or aeroplanes, for example, and how young artists are continuously developing their designs. Other aspects of funeral culture have also evolved in recent years. Today, undertakers adorn mourning rooms with vibrant fabrics, artificial flowers, and elaborate displays. Sometimes, special coffin bearers enhance the ceremonies with choreographed dance performances.

The figurative coffins of the Ga were for a long time celebrated as a revolutionary invention of an autonomous artist – the coffin-maker Kane Kwei from Teshi. However, R. Tschumi’s recent research results show that both science and the art world have been exposed to a great error due to lack of information. This text illuminates the origins of the figurative coffins from the figurative palanquins and summarizes the most important research results of the author.