Soap Magazine
property is suddenly very valuable , and some of the family want to cash in . Anang is determined to keep it open .
The men who work at the shop are fiercely proud of its legacy . Legend has it that in the 1950s , a traditional leader died shortly after having a litter in the shape of a cocoa pod made . Because the leader died so suddenly , the litter he would be carried in during ceremonies was converted into a coffin to bury him . Seth Kane Kwei , a young carpenter at the time , admired the unique take on a casket .
Shortly afterwards , Kane Kwei ’ s grandmother died . During her life , she ’ d had an enduring fascination with airplanes . Recalling how the crowd at the traditional ruler ’ s funeral had been fascinated by his unique coffin , Kane Kwei built his grandmother a coffin in the shape of an airplane . A few weeks later , a fisherman who ’ d just lost his father ordered a coffin in the shape of a boat .
The coffin shop in Accra .
Photo : Theophilus Mensah
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