Coffin in the Form of a Fish
| Artist | Workshop of Ernest Anang Kwei (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Title | Coffin in the Form of a Fish |
| Date | 2001 |
| Medium | Wood, paint, cloth, and and metal |
| Dimensions | Overall (including base): 43 x 115 1/2 x 20 1/8 in. (109.2 x 293.4 x 51.1 cm) |
| Credit Line | Gift of William and Gayle Cook in honor of Alvin and Phyllis Rutner, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 2001.17 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
A painted wooden coffin in the shape of a fish. The fish is painted pink with red stripes near its top, and the fins are painted yellow, with crimson areas where the fins join with the fish's body.
In coastal Ghana, one last way for family members to honor a deceased relative is by burial in a so-called “designer” or fantasy coffin. Bold, colorful, and inventive, these coffins relate to the deceased’s profession, status, or accomplishments and take the form of objects ranging from cars (Mercedes Benz is a favorite) to cocoa pods (one of the region’s important cash crops). Along the coast, many people’s occupations are sea-related, so it is not surprising to find coffins in the form of boats, outboard motors, fishing nets, lobsters, crabs, and fish of various forms and colors.
This bright pink fish coffin was commissioned in March 2001. Completed in three weeks, the fish is full-size; that is, it is the length of a coffin that would actually be used for burial. The interior is upholstered with gathered white satin. The blue supports anchored to the bottom of the fish are also part of a casket intended for use: they are the means by which a coffin containing the deceased is carried by mourners parading through the streets, past places frequented by the deceased, before burial.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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"Coffin in the Form of a Fish | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2026. https://collections.artmuseum.indiana.edu/browse/object.php?number=2001.17