Kumasi the capital of the Ashanti region is made up of many people from different ethnic
backgrounds. After the defeat of the Ashanti Kingdom by the British during the Sagrenti war in 1874, the British consolidated their power and established the Gold Coast colony in the south and by 1901; Asante became British colony after the Yaa Asantewaa war.
Railway became the main transport of cocoa and gold from the hinterland to the coast. The first construction of the railway line in Ghana begun in 1896 and the railway line started from Sekondi on the coast and reached the gold mines of Tarkwa and Obuasi in May 1901 and December 1902 respectively. The railway line was extended to Kumasi in 1903 and most of the railway workers the colonial government employed were Fantes.
During the construction of the railway in Kumasi, the Fante workers requested for a parcel of land from Nana Asem who was then the chief of Asem a suburb of Kumasi. These Fante rail workers started to built their new settlements at a area which was known as New Town Ejisu Road because at first Kumasi to Ejisu and Accra road passed through that place but as time went on the name of that place changed to Fante New town because most Fantes upon arriving in Kumasi go there to settle at that place. Most Fante women who came with their with husbands also brought bread baking and fish smoking to Fante New town before it spread to other parts of
Kumasi .However, this article seeks to throw more light on coffin making in Fante New town.
When someone passes away, the usual tradition here in most part of Ghana is to bury the dead with coffin. Today coffin remains fixture in our culture. The word ‘coffin’ derived from the Greek language, where it used to be called “Kophinos” which literally means ‘basket’.
However, later on, it has been said that the word was derived from the French word “cofin”. A coffin is usually a funerary box and it has been used for centuries in various forms. No matter the civilization, from ancient Egypt to this modern time, coffin has always had the same purpose, example. To act as a container preserving the body of loved ones as the pass away to the ancestral world.
Coffin making in Fante New town was introduced by Nana Yaw Anokye according to Agya Adu who migrated from Fante Nyankomase in the Central region of Ghana. Nana Yaw Anokye gave birth to two(2) sons namely Opanin Kwabena Mensah and Akwasi Gari who continued with coffin making after the death of their father around 1970’s but Agya Asare also joined the coffin making venture.
Agya Adu started coffin making with his uncle Opanin Kwabena Mensah around 1982 and since then, many people came around to learn how to make coffin. Around
1982, the coffin which was been made was known as “Rubber Adaka” because it was rubber which was used to cover the coffin with a white linen used inside it, as time went on, they made a coffin known as “Ank)meyie” around 1985.
Today new varieties of coffin have emerged with different designs.
Materials that is used to make coffin include Wawa, Krodua, Kyedua, Terk, Manzonia and the prices of coffins depends on the materials been used outside the coffin especially coffin
ornaments such as handles, crucifix which are made with rubber,brass, gold and silver. Many decorations on coffins are based on the religious order the decreased belongs.
In Fante New town, prices of coffins ranges from Ghc 1,000 to Ghc5, 000. Coffin making in Fante New town has employed many people from all over Ghana and many people from all over the country come to Fante New town to learn coffin making with more than 1,000 master craft artisans.
Some of the challenges facing the coffin making industry in Fante New town is the price of raw materials and during rainy season, most people don’t patrionize coffins because most funerals are done during this season.
When you talked about coffin making in Fante New town, it was Nana Yaw Anokye who spearheaded coffin making especially in Ashanti region and currently, Fante New town is the leading name when it comes to coffin making in all over Ghana and some of their coffins are sent to other parts of the country such as the Eastern and Greater Accra regions.
Source//Kofi Frimpong.
By// Kofi Frimpong.
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