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In West Africa there is such a wonderful state - Ghana. Of course, my story will be about the carpenters there, but let me tell you a few words about Ghana. Just a few words.
Ghana is located between côte d'ivoire and Burkina Faso on the beautiful Gulf of Guinea Atlantic ocean. And, actually, it is called Ghana only 60 years. Before that, it was called the Gold coast. And it's not like in Australia-not because of the unprecedented beauty of the scenery so called. Just there once mined 10% of the world's gold. Right here starting with the first good Europeans who came there and decided that it is now theirs. The Portuguese. Then there were the Dutch, the Danes, the Swedes, the Germans. All mined gold-diamonds and industriously killed the locals. Well, then the British finally bought all these territories and began to produce and kill in splendid isolation. All on themselves shouldered. Because they are very hardworking. Until 1957, we tried. And in 1957 local tribes rebelled, defeated and emerged Ghana.
And now there is also mined gold and diamonds. On gold and at all - Ghana is among the ten largest miners in the world. But, of course, not only gold is fed there. There's oil. And aluminum and manganese. The budget in Ghana is quite decent. Although, as it is not surprising, it is distributed strangely. There's not much left in the country. Most of it goes to China. And transnational corporations.
But it is not important and in General I wanted to talk about the local carpenters. Carpenters in Ghana are a separate caste. These are local creators-almost at the level of the priests. Everyone has a crowd of assistants, and they go important and inspiringly come up with images. Even mayors and Ministers consider their opinion. Just in case.
Because it's the "suddenly" can happen to anyone. Because the main thing that local carpenters do is coffins. And in Ghana it is not some boring and sad stamping. Not a fringed box. In Ghana, the dead decided to bury not anyhow what, and elaborate personifications of something extraordinary. And the view is extraordinary is not a funeral. That is buried there in airplanes, fish, cars, in some fancy shoes or cell phones.
This series of coffins, called Abebuu Adekai, did the carpenter Kane Quay (1922-1992) and his assistants of PAA Joe, Eric Adjei the Ananga, Daniel Mensah and Kuja Effutu. Now that they are no longer assistants - now-all of them received the status of independent carpenters and they now have their own workshops. But as long as they're alive, no one can publish what they've done. That's it. And what Kane Kway has done can now be seen.
I would, of course. How to meet death in Ghana.
