Dr. Christa Clarke

About Dr. Christa Clarke

Dr. Christa Clarke is Senior Curator, Arts of Global Africa at the Newark Museum. Dr. Clarke has held fellowships at the Smithsonian, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Clark Art Institute, and teaching appointments at NYU Abu Dhabi, University of Pennsylvania, George Washington University, Rutgers University, Purchase College, and Drew University. She is currently a fellow of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University and President of the Association of Art Museum Curators.

Figure from a Reliquary Ensemble: Seated Female, 19th–early 20th century, Fang peoples, Okak group, Gabon or Equatorial Guinea, wood, metal, 64 x 20 x 16.5 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) — What kinds of cultural biases have shaped African collections in Western museums?

Western appreciation of African art

One figure from a Pair of Diviner's Figures, Côte d'Ivoire, central Côte d'Ivoire, Baule peoples, wood, pigment, beads and iron, 55.4 x 10.2 x 10.5 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) — The artistic enhancement of functional objects can reflect and reinforce an individual’s social status.

Art and the individual

Headdress, 19th–20th century, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yaka peoples, wood, cane, raffia, pigment, 45.1 x 61 x 54.6 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) — In transitional periods, art objects are often employed to assist rites of passage and reinforce community values.

Rites of passage

Head of an Oba, Nigeria, Court of Benin, 16th century, brass, 23.5 x 21.9 c 22.9 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) — Art has always played a role in African politics—both in large kingdoms and smaller, village-based societies.

Art and politics

Dogon Couple, 18th-early 19th century (Dogon peoples), Mali, wood and metal, 73 x 23.7 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) — In addition to local indigenous religions, Christianity and Islam are also practiced throughout Africa.

Religion and the Spiritual Realm

Magdalene Odundo, Untitled (Vessel), 1997, red clay, 50.2 x 33 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) — […]

Magdalene Odundo, Untitled (Vessel)

Seydou Keïta, Untitled [Seated Woman with Chevron Print Dress], 1956, printed 1997, Mali, Bamako, gelatin silver print, 60.96 x 50.8 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) — Studio photography produced mementos for the growing middle class: Keïta’s Bamako studio was abuzz with clients.

Seydou Keïta, Untitled (Seated Woman with Chevron ...

Illuminated Gospel — This 15th century manuscript is based on Egyptian Coptic sources, but its creators imbued it with local flair.

Illuminated Gospel

Married Woman’s Apron (Ndebele peoples) — These decorated aprons were gifts from the groom’s family to his wife, and signified her new role in society.

Married Woman’s Apron (Ndebele peoples)

Figurative Harp (Domu) — European patrons encouraged artists to include human forms on objects that were previously nonfigurative.

Figurative Harp (Domu) (Mangbetu peoples)

Buli Master, Female caryatid — This stool reminds the king to thank his mother for his power, and is so important that it has its own bodyguard.

Buli Master, possibly Ngongo ya Chintu, Prestige ...

Double prestige panel — Though many raffia textiles were made as garments for and by both men and women, this one was intended for display.

Double Prestige Panel (Kuba peoples)

Detail, Crucifix, 16th-17th century, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Angola; Republic of the Congo, solid cast brass, 27.3 cm high (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) — During its brief fling with Christianity, the Kongo kingdom merged western iconography with local aesthetics.

Crucifix (Kongo peoples)

Female reliquary, Fang peoples — The Fang peoples commemorated their ancestors with carved reliquary figures that they honored with offerings.

Female Figure from a Reliquary Ensemble (Fang ...

Ceremonial Palm Wine Vessel, 19th–20th century, Grassfields region, Cameroon, gourd, glass beads, cloth, cane, wood, 76.2 x 30.8 x 19.7 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) — Lavishly decorated with expensive materials for the chief’s exclusive use, this isn’t your average wine bottle.

Ceremonial Palm Wine Vessel (Cameroon Grasslands peoples)

Linguist Staff (Okyeamepoma) (Asante peoples) — While its itsy bitsy American counterpart climbed up the waterspout, the spider shown here brought wisdom to Ghana.

Linguist Staff (Okyeamepoma) (Asante peoples)

Queen Mother Pendant Mask (Iyoba), 16th century, Edo peoples, Court of Benin, Nigeria, ivory, iron, copper, 23.8 x 12.7 x 8.3 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) — This intricate ivory mask symbolizes the king’s dual nature as human and divine—and honors his mother.

Queen Mother Pendant Mask (Iyoba) (Edo peoples)

Detail, Buffalo (Bocio), 19th century, Republic of Benin, Fon people, silver, iron, and wood, 30.5 cm high (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) — Symbols for the Fon kings, which were determined in a divination ceremony, supported and enhanced his authority.

Buffalo (Bocio) (Fon peoples)

Memorial Head (Ntiri), 17th century (?), Ghana, Adanse traditional area, Fomena, Akan people, 31.3 x 19 x 14.5 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) — Since the 16th century, Akan women potters have created ceramic heads to serve as the focus of funerary rituals.

Memorial Head (Akan peoples)

Head of an Oba, Nigeria, Court of Benin, 16th century, brass, 23.5 x 21.9 c 22.9 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) — Many forms of African art are characterized by visual abstraction or departure from representational accuracy.

Form and meaning