Comments on: Bizarre: Airplane coffin at the Smithsonian http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/02/02/bizarre-airplane-coffin-at-the-smithsonian/ Living the first class life -- at coach prices Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:55:54 -0700 hourly 1 By: Oliver http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/02/02/bizarre-airplane-coffin-at-the-smithsonian/#comment-1098 Oliver Sat, 03 Feb 2007 17:52:12 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/02/02/bizarre-airplane-coffin-at-the-smithsonian/#comment-1098 > Certainly not a nitpicker for aircraft design… > There are no aircraft with five engines… On your last voyage, better be safe than sorry... > Certainly not a nitpicker for aircraft design…
> There are no aircraft with five engines…

On your last voyage, better be safe than sorry…

]]> By: Tim http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/02/02/bizarre-airplane-coffin-at-the-smithsonian/#comment-1060 Tim Fri, 02 Feb 2007 23:28:05 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/02/02/bizarre-airplane-coffin-at-the-smithsonian/#comment-1060 Fascinating, indeed! More info here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4196011.stm Fascinating, indeed!

More info here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4196011.stm

]]> By: S A http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/02/02/bizarre-airplane-coffin-at-the-smithsonian/#comment-1049 S A Fri, 02 Feb 2007 21:20:44 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/02/02/bizarre-airplane-coffin-at-the-smithsonian/#comment-1049 Certainly not a nitpicker for aircraft design... There are no aircraft with five engines... ;) Certainly not a nitpicker for aircraft design… There are no aircraft with five engines… ;)

]]> By: Mark Ashley http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/02/02/bizarre-airplane-coffin-at-the-smithsonian/#comment-1048 Mark Ashley Fri, 02 Feb 2007 20:58:41 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/02/02/bizarre-airplane-coffin-at-the-smithsonian/#comment-1048 Thanks, Mike. That's really fascinating. Here's another example: Same plane shape, different airline. And yes, made in Ghana. http://www.spikedhumor.com/Article.aspx?id=26372 A San Francisco Chronicle article on the practice includes this: <blockquote>One of Ata Owoo's most talented young apprentices, a fellow named Kane Kwei, was powerfully inspired by the chief's cocoa-pod coffin. When Kane's grandmother died in 1951, he built a coffin just for her -- shaped like an airplane. The old lady had never been in a plane, but she'd seen them in the sky and longed to fly. Thanks to her grandson, she finally got her airplane ride. People loved that airplane coffin so much that Kane Kwei understood that he'd found his true calling. He opened his own shop and started making custom coffins symbolic of the deceased's status and worldly occupation: boats for fleet owners; fish or crabs or lobsters for fishermen; cows and bulls for breeders; lions and leopards for hunters; cocoa pods, peppers, green onions or corn cobs for farmers. </blockquote> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/10/30/HO134013.DTL+ Thanks, Mike. That’s really fascinating. Here’s another example: Same plane shape, different airline. And yes, made in Ghana.
http://www.spikedhumor.com/Article.aspx?id=26372

A San Francisco Chronicle article on the practice includes this:

One of Ata Owoo’s most talented young apprentices, a fellow named Kane Kwei, was powerfully inspired by the chief’s cocoa-pod coffin. When Kane’s grandmother died in 1951, he built a coffin just for her — shaped like an airplane. The old lady had never been in a plane, but she’d seen them in the sky and longed to fly. Thanks to her grandson, she finally got her airplane ride.

People loved that airplane coffin so much that Kane Kwei understood that he’d found his true calling. He opened his own shop and started making custom coffins symbolic of the deceased’s status and worldly occupation: boats for fleet owners; fish or crabs or lobsters for fishermen; cows and bulls for breeders; lions and leopards for hunters; cocoa pods, peppers, green onions or corn cobs for farmers.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/10/30/HO134013.DTL+

]]> By: Mike http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/02/02/bizarre-airplane-coffin-at-the-smithsonian/#comment-1047 Mike Fri, 02 Feb 2007 20:48:44 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/02/02/bizarre-airplane-coffin-at-the-smithsonian/#comment-1047 This is coffin is most likely from Ghana. Coffins are sometimes shaped after an object that relates to the deceased’s life. For example a cab driver being buried in a coffin that looks like a car, or a fishermen buried in a coffin that looks like a fish. Probably this person was a frequent flyer, who knows. There is more at http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/photo.day.php?ID=52081 This is coffin is most likely from Ghana. Coffins are sometimes shaped after an object that relates to the deceased’s life. For example a cab driver being buried in a coffin that looks like a car, or a fishermen buried in a coffin that looks like a fish. Probably this person was a frequent flyer, who knows. There is more at http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/photo.day.php?ID=52081

]]>