For a Musician

Following a lifetime of holding their instrument, a musician might find comfort in being embraced by its familiar form after death. Ghanaian fantasy coffins like this example emerged from a tradition of figural palanquins used in southern Ghana. The transports appeared in processions marking the installation of a new chief of the Ga-Adangme. Crafted by the same carpenters, both coffins and palanquins reflect the identities of their occupants and serve as vehicles for transformative journeys.