Up Close & Peculiar
More than 100 years ago, the globetrotting Robert Ripley began collecting artifacts from his journeys around the world, which today form the heart of the greatest collection of oddities ever assembled. Up Close & Peculiar brings the curious history of these pieces to a personal level as our very own, Allyson Iovino, explores the strange relics that lie within our Warehouse walls! Become a part of the story as we share pieces for every history buff, pop culture junkie, and oddities collector alike.
Today: African Fantasy Coffins
If spending eternity in a mass-produced wooden box isn't your style, Kane Kwei Coffins has you covered with their incredible custom coffins! Paa Joe in Ghana, Africa, has been making fantasy coffins for most of his life. Joe learned the craft from the father of Fantasy Coffins, Kane Kwei, who is believed to have started the trend in the 1950s.
For the Ga tribe in Africa, funerals are a time for both mourning and celebration. Since they believe that their loved ones move onto another life after they pass away, they give them a huge send-off into their next life, including honoring them with a fantasy coffin that reflects their life or their interests.
Some of these coffins are representative of someone’s role in society, like royals being buried in a lion or eagle, and women with many children are buried in hens. But a lot of the time people just get buried in things that they have an interest in.
Because of the popularity of these coffins across the world, Pah-ah Joe now gets a ton of requests from people outside of his community. Most of his pieces are now considered collectible works of art rather than strictly coffins to be buried in.
Do you want to get Up Close with this fantastic fantasy coffin? Visit Ripley's Believe It or Not! Hollywood to see it yourself!
