During the recent Commonwealth Games in Melbourne Australia, the movers and shakers of Melbourne decided to balance the sport with the arts, another wondrous aspect of Melbourne.

The festival of Melbourne commissioned fantasy coffins from Paa Joe’s carpentry workshop in Nungua Ghana, these are them.

Background: It seems the British introduced coffins to Ghana but it was the locals who used them to represent peoples livelihood in their time on earth, or as vessels to the afterlife, thus planes and ships are still popular forms for the coffins.

Coffins are now commissioned for art galleries and as interesting furniture for collectors and art lovers from around the world, as well as being used in funerals in Ghana.