Kane Kwei Carpentry Workshop, Coffin carpentry workshop in Teshie, Ghana
Kane Kwei Carpentry Workshop is a woodworking facility in Teshie where craftsmen carve coffins shaped like cars, animals, airplanes, and professional tools to represent the deceased. The team works with local woods such as wawa and limba, hand-crafting each detailed piece over several weeks.
Seth Kane Kwei founded this workshop in the 1950s and pioneered a new carving style that transformed how families honored their deceased in Ghana. His approach expanded a local craft tradition into an art form known across the country.
The workshop produces Abebuu adekai, specialized coffins deeply rooted in Ga cultural traditions that express the identity and life of the deceased through symbolic carved forms. Visitors can see how funeral practices and artistic craftsmanship are woven into the daily life of this community.
Visitors can watch craftspeople shape wood at their workbenches and purchase small-scale versions of the decorative coffins as souvenirs. It is best to visit in the morning when activity is at its peak and you can observe multiple artisans working side by side.
The craftsmen use hand-carved patterns and templates to guide their work, yet every coffin remains a one-of-a-kind creation shaped by individual skill and experience. The intricate details emerge from the artisan's eye and hand rather than any mechanical process.
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