Ghana's fantasy coffins turn funerals into life stories

Ghaniana coffin makers craft elaborate wooden caskets shaped like shoes, guitars and microphones, turning funerals into a final reflection of the deceased's life. This footage shows carpenters sanding, painting and finishing the unusual designs before a guitar-shaped coffin is taken to a funeral and later lowered into a grave. The tradition is particularly associated with Ga communities around Ghana's capital, Accra.

Customers often choose a shape linked to the loved one's work, interests or passions. Coffin makers say the designs reflect a belief that people continue what they did during their lifetime in the afterlife.