Modern designer coffins, carved out of the traditions of Ghana, are on display at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art from April 6 to June 16.
In A Life Well Lived: Fantasy Coffins of Kane Quaye, it is apparent that Ghanaian traditional beliefs view death not as a termination of life but as a transition to the realm of the ancestral spirits. As evidence, the Johnson Museum is hosting an exhibition of 12 fantasy coffins by Kane Quaye (1927-1992). The collection, on tour from Primitive Artisan Inc. of Pittsfield, Mass., demonstrates the diversity and artistic renderings that are part of the Ghanaian funeral tradition.
The coffins merge personal expression, artistry and the evolution of a cultural tradition, depicting outrageously colorful replicas of unexpected objects, such as a huge chicken, a fish, a lobster and even an outboard motor.
Quaye's art plays a unique role in the burial tradition of southern Ghana in West Africa. His burial creations have shaped a generation of woodworkers in the region. The designer coffins of Kane Quaye fit into a new mode of elaborate memorial art. Fantasy coffins are a relatively recent phenomenon of the last half century. More than 20 years ago, Quaye was asked to make a special coffin in the shape of a fishing canoe for an ailing uncle who was a renowned fisherman. It was a huge success at the funeral rites, and before long Quaye's coffins were in demand.
Museum hours are 10 a m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.