In Ghana, death is a chance to celebrate what comes next and Jacob's incredible coffins play an important role in this tradition.
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00:00 In Ghana, people are being buried in a coffin due to their career or the symbol of their
00:08 family.
00:09 So, a fisherman may be buried in a fish coffin, believing life still continues in the afterlife.
00:16 And also, the royals may be buried in a lion or in an eagle coffin as a sign of authority.
00:22 Whilst the journalists, the media may be buried in a camera coffin, the businessmen also may
00:28 be buried in a Porsche car or a Mercedes Benz.
00:32 Yeah.
00:33 Jacob Tetahashon is my name and I am a fantastic coffin artist at Pajo Coffinworks here in
00:42 Accra, Ghana.
00:47 So far, from the year of my apprenticeship, 2008 to now, I have built numerous coffins,
00:55 both for the burial and the international market as well.
01:01 It will be in hundreds, but I can't keep a record of the exact number.
01:17 These coffins can be used by anyone at all in Ghana and outside Ghana.
01:24 Most people who use these coffins are the traditionalists.
01:28 Because when you go to a Christian cemetery, you won't be allowed to be buried in a coffin
01:36 like maybe a lion, looking at the size of the graveyard.
01:39 But when you go to the traditional or the public cemetery, you have the free space to
01:45 be buried in such coffins, a huge coffin.
01:48 So anyone at all can buy, the rich can buy, the poor can buy.
01:55 We get very excited when questions are being asked, who were the most famous people who
02:09 have been able to purchase.
02:12 We have President Jimmy Carter of the United States of America, who have bought our piece.
02:17 President Clinton of the United States of America, Conan O'Brien in the US.
02:21 We are very happy to have these people buy our coffins.
02:25 And we love, you know, we love, you know.
02:40 Death may be seen as a taboo in many countries.
02:43 And what they tell me is that in our country, you know, coffin is a taboo and you can't
02:48 bring these coffins and exhibit them.
02:50 But in Ghana, we don't see it as a taboo.
02:52 We know and we are aware it is part of the journey, you know.
02:56 So some people in Ghana, you know, majority, about 70%, you know, see it, you know, as
03:02 a celebration of life, as a party.
03:05 So when someone dies, they don't say no, yes, we are going to have a party.
03:12 It's quite sad, yes, when people come in for commissions for burial of their departed.
03:19 But it's also a form of joy, you know, to put a lot of details on the coffins, you know,
03:26 for the departed.
03:27 Because you also know, they believe, you know, it's traveling to the afterlife.
03:33 So when he or she arrives in the afterlife or in the next world, they say, wow, your
03:39 coffin looks very nice.
03:40 Your coffin looks very beautiful.
03:42 It also brings joy to us to put much effort, you know, to put all details into the coffin,
03:50 yeah.