Spirits: African and Oceanic Art

The story of Spirits starts in Florida with Dr. Alan “Rico” and Linda Rich. Dr. Rich, an ophthalmologist, or an eye surgeon, and Linda as an occupational therapist, both decided that they wanted to help the lives of those in need of life-changing eye care. Their medical missions begin in the 1970s. They first worked together in the Sudan Interior Mission Eye Hospital in Nigeria. The goal of each trip was to provide medical care to those in need of vision correcting eye surgery, mostly from cataracts, and fixing disfigurements from cancer or crossed eyes. While spending time with the people whose lives they were helping change, they began looking for a better way to understand each culture. That’s when the Riches’ found art.

“Any art collecting was certainly secondary to the eye mission itself, each object chosen had a special meaning as to how we acquired it and what its purpose was in each people’s world of spirit and ancestor worship, not art for art’s sake. We appreciated self-taught art, and how the artists appreciated the principles and elements of design." - Linda Rich

The term "Oceanic Art" describes artworks, both arts and crafts, produced by indigenous native peoples of the Pacific Ocean. While term “African Art” describes the visual arts of native Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, including such media as sculpture, painting, pottery, rock art, textiles, masks, personal decoration, and jewelry. 

The continent of Africa is enormous, containing 54 countries and 9 territories, with about 15 percent of the world’s population, or 1.2 million people, living within its borders. Africa is a melting pot of different cultures, leading to the diversity that is found on the continent. There is not one set of customs or beliefs. This diversity can be seen in the many different types of art that can be found in the collection.

All African Art, which comprises many different cultures, shares the function of their art. In western history, art is made to be seen, not used. In contrast, traditional African art is made to be used, in religious functions and dancing, connecting to the spiritual side. The art is made to be eye-catching with abstract or geometric appearances but while also serving a function. 

While the story of Spirits begins with both the Riches’, Dr. Alan Rich is no stranger to collecting art on his own. Before meeting Linda in 1960, Dr. Rich acquired his first artifact while active with East African Flying Doctor Service in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

“I obtained our first pieces in Tanzania when working with the Maasai tribe. Their leaders would often want my shorts, or jeans, and I would trade for some of their artwork. We were really out in the bush, so this was a great place to secure some authentic, non-commercial pieces directly from the original artisans,” - Dr. Alan 'Rico' Rich

The chiwara is a figure, worn on the head, of an antelope made by the Bambara people of Mali. The figure represents the spirit that taught the Bambra people how to farm. The Bambara people use the figure as a mask while dancing to honor the spirit.

Chiwara used his antlers and pointed stick to dig into the earth, making it possible for humans to cultivate the land. Humans watched Chiwara and then tilled their own soil. Chiwara used his hoofs to cover the seeds, and humans, observing closely, became experts at planting seeds. The Bambara farms became so bountiful that they had too much corn for their own use. They wasted it, thinking that it was easy to cultivate. Chiwara grew disappointed and buried himself in the earth. This disturbed the elders of the Bambara, who regretted that they had lost him. They then ordered that a mask be made in memory of Chiwara, to honor him for teaching them how to farm the land. Many elaborate headdresses have been created in his honor. - The Legend of The Chiwara

The Bambara people are a group that speak the Bambara language, they are intermingled with other tribes in the area. They don’t have a central organization that holds them together. Traditionally, they had small districts made up of villages under a dominant family that has a chief or fama. The Fama has power but he must confer to a council of elders. The Bambara people use the N’ko alphabet that is read right to left. They have a distinct system of metaphysics, cosmology, encompassing animalistic cults, prayers, and myths. They are also known for their religious statues in wood and metals. 

Many African tribes refer to masks as mediators between the living world and the world of the dead, ancestors and other spirits. Each African mask is made according to their traditional style, and a trained performer wears each mask for a certain traditional ceremony. 

Senufo Masks from the Ivory Coast is also known as Kpeliye'e masks and are used in various stages of the Poro, the Senufo's initiation, and age-grade system. In these ceremonies, the masks are worn by dancers who celebrate an individual's passage from one grade to the next, including funerary rituals. The Senufo style includes elongated, concave noses and round, protruding mouths. Yoruba Masks from Nigeria have a characteristic with different hairstyles similar to those seen in their statues. Baule Mask from the Ivory Coast is of great importance to the Baule and can be worn only by certain people. Its design is based on the face of a specific person, and as part of the Mblo ceremony, it is worn by a skilled dancer honoring that person as an artistic expression. Oftentimes, the mask's subject will partake in the Mblo ceremony as well.

The Yoruba people are one of the three largest ethnic groups of Nigeria; the population is about 20 million people. The men are farmers that grow yams, corn, and millet. Others are traders or cattlemen. Women do little farm work but control much for the complex market system. The family’s status depends on the woman’s place in the marketplace rather than the man’s status. The Yoruba tribe is renowned for their skilled craftsmanship. Traditionally, kingdoms were centered around cities with hereditary kings or Oba. Now, people are Christian or Muslim, but the traditional religion was an elaborate hierarchy of deities and 400 lesser gods and spirits with a supreme creator. The Yoruba tribe has an extensive literature collection of poetry, short stories, myths and proverbs.  

Traditional African jewelry differs in many ways from the traditional western styles we think of. African jewelry is usually made up of beads, animal bones, and shells. African jewelry is not just made for decorative purposes; the pieces often hold meaning in religious ceremonies. Jewelry also often shows prestige and power within tribes. 

The Maasai people live along the Great Rift River in East Africa. The population of the group is estimated from 500,000 to 1 million people. This broad number is due to some of the Maasai people don’t like the government counting them, so they give them fake amounts of people. There are 16 sections of the group, they are Ildamat, Ilpurko, Ilkeekonyokie, Iloitai, Ilkaputiei, Ilkankere, Isiria, Ilmoitanik, Iloodokilani, Iloitokitoki, Ilarusa, Ilmatatapato, Ilwuasinkishu, Kore, Parakuyu, and Ilkisonko, also known as Isikirari (Tanzania's Maasai). They live in Kraals (like a little gated neighborhood) arranged in a circular fashion. The fence around the Kraals is made from acacia thorns that prevent lions from attacking. They live in Inkajijik (the Maasai word for house); they are loaf shaped made of mud, sticks, grass, and cow dung and urine. It is the woman’s job to make both the Kraal and Inkajijiks. Traditionally extended families would live in the Kraals, however, now it is not unusual to see a single family living alone. The Maasai people live a semi nomadic lifestyle under a communal land management system. They rely on a movement of livestock on a seasonal rotation. This lets food be grown sustainably. Each section of the group manages their own territory. The Maasai people believe that no one should be denied access to natural recourses such as water and land. 

Even though the art showcased in this collection is separated throughout the sweeping culture of Africa, one thing connects each and every piece of art, Spirits. Almost every piece in the Riches’ collection shares the belief that all life on earth is joined together.

“They have a devotion to nature and ancestors deeply embedded in their beliefs. And we were surprised to see that neither culture creates art just for itself; all art is intimately connected to rituals and ceremony.” - Linda Rich

Dr. Alan and Linda Riches’ collection was built out of their appreciation and interest in African cultures, they never intended for the world to see their collection. Their love for learning about new cultures can be seen in the collection from the variety of the pieces. The mutual understanding and respect for every culture can be seen in every piece of this collection.

"African Traditional Tribal Masks." AFRICAN CRAFTS MARKET- African Handcrafted Arts, Crafts, Skins and Horns. https://www.africancraftsmarket.com/african-mask-information.html.

Asante, Molefi K. "Chiwara." Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified August 15, 2014. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chiwara.

Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Bambara." Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified February 2, 2016. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bambara.

Hicks, Loren P. "An Eye for Art: African and Oceanic Masks — Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College." Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College. Last modified February 26, 2021.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Yoruba." Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified June 30, 2014. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yoruba.

Maasai Association. "Maasai People, Kenya." Maasai Association | Kenya. https://www.maasai-association.org/maasai.html.

Rich, Alexander. "Spirits: Ritual and Ceremonial African and Oceanic Art from the Dr. Alan and Linda Rich Collection — Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College." Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College. Last modified January 9, 2020. https://polkmuseumofart.org/media/spirits-essay-2019.

Simak, Evelyn, and Carl Dreibelbis. African Beads: Jewels of a Continent. 2010.

All artifact images belong to the Polk Museum of Art. 2021