Obj. ID: 54804
Jewish printed books  Matza Isha Matza Tov, Belgrade (Beograd), 1900

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

A Ketubah (Hebrew: כְּתוּבָּה ; "written thing"; pl. Ketubot) is a special type of Jewish prenuptial agreement. It is considered an integral part of a traditional Jewish marriage, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom, in relation to the bride. The content of the Ketubah is in essence a one-way contract that formalizes the various requirements by Halacha (Jewish law) of a Jewish husband vis à vis his wife. The Jewish husband takes upon himself in the Ketubah the obligation that he will provide to his wife three major things: clothing, food and conjugal relations, and also that he will pay her a pre-specified amount of cash in the case of a divorce. Thus the content of the Ketubah essentially dictates security and protection for the woman, and her rights in the marriage.

This document is signed and then given to the bride as her property. In Italy and most of the Islamic countries in which Jews resided, such a Ketubah was often decorated, a tradition originating with the Jews in Spain. Today, generally, printed Ketubot are used.

As printing became more accessible and reasonably priced during the last half of the 19th century, printed Ketubot began to replace those formerly decorated by hand. Many of the first examples are fine artworks in their own right, while much simpler and plain printed Ketubot became the norm as the 20th century progressed. This marvelous lithograph continues much of the elaborate tradition of the hand-made works of prior years and from a distance could well be mistaken for an original artistic work made by hand.

Distribution of printed marriage contracts was also easier, and this example, while printed in Belgrade, was used in the small Bulgarian town of Stara-Zagora. The bride and groom were part of the largely Sephardic community of Bulgaria. This wedding was held on December 28, 1900 (6 Tevet 5661).

Bride:                                Luna Bat Aavraham Yitzhak Bejarano Makizachlik

Groom:                             Avraham Ben Ya'akov Yosef Crispin