Coffin

Object Details

Paa Joe, born 1945, Ghana

Ga artist

Label Text

Paa Joe is the leading student and successor to Kane Kwei (1922-1992), the artist who developed and popularized "fantasy coffins" in the 1950s. Inspired by chiefs' palanquins, these imaginative works typically take the form of an important aspect of the deceased's life, from a luxury car or a Coca-Cola bottle to a spotted elephant. Today, art galleries and collectors commission fantasy coffins as works of art in their own right.

Description

Wood coffin constructed of planks, carved legs and tusks, painted with commercial paint, brown overall with yellow spots and lined with satin cloth.

Provenance

Kenneth and Bonnie Brown, purchased from artist Paa Joe at his workshop in Teshi-Nungua (outside Accra), Ghana, ca. 1992 to 2010

Exhibition History

African Mosaic: Celebrating a Decade of Collecting, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2010-November 13, 2013

Artful Animals, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., July 1, 2009-July 25, 2010

Published References

Freyer, Bryna. 2009. Artful Animals Activity Guide. Exhibition booklet. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Content Statement

As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.

Image Requests

High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/

Credit Line

Gift of Kenneth and Bonnie Brown

Late 20th century

Object number

2010-9-1

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Copyright

© Paa Joe

Type

Sculpture

Medium

Wood, paint

Dimensions

H x W x D: 121.9 x 254 x 86.4cm (48 x 100 x 34in.)

Geography

Ghana

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Topic

Funerary

elephant

Status

Record ID

nmafa_2010-9-1

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7d39d6c59-1728-4bbf-b8fb-7d67036429a6