Img. ID: 441987

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

THIS INSCRIBED AND PAINTED PARCHMENT IS A WEDDING POEM PREPARED FOR A SEPHARDIC COUPLE IN AMSTERDAM IN THE 17TH CENTURY.  THE VERY SPECIFIC COSTUMES DATE THE PIECE TO APPROXIMATELY 1670.  THESE JEWISH WEDDING POEMS WERE CREATED IN ITALY AND IN HOLLAND, OFTEN USING RHYMES CREATED AS A RIDDLE, WHOSE ANSWER IS OFTEN INDICATED BY THE ILLUSTRATIONS OR BY STRONG HINTS.  IN THIS CASE, THE TREE FORM OF SOME OF THE INSCRIPTIONS AND THE CONSTANTLY REPEATED WORD "YA'AR" (=FOREST) WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE ANSWER TO THE RIDDLE IS THE NAME OF THE FAMILIES INVOLVED IN THE MARRIAGE, PERHAPS "D'SILVA". ALSO ILLUSTRATED IS A MAN IN CONTEMPORARY ACADEMIC DRESS WHO IS PROBABLY THE CREATOR OF THIS RIDDLE AND PERHAPS THE SCRIBE AS WELL.  HE IS PICTURED A SECOND TIME AT THE BOTTOM OF A BOAT WHOSE SMALL FLAG CARRIES THE WORD "AHAVAH" (LOVE). THE USE OF RHYMES WAS SO PREVALENT IN HEBREW PROSE COMPOSITION THAT TWO EDITIONS OF A HEBREW RHYME DICTIONARY WERE PUBLISHED IN VENICE IN THE 18TH CENTURY. UNTIL THAT TIME THERE HAD BEEN MANUSCRIPTS OF THE SAME SORT.

Groom:                             Avram Di Silva?

Bride:                                Rivka Di Silva?