Img. ID: 493661
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.
There exist many Ketubot from Yazd, several of which are in the Gross Family Collection. This example with its interesting use of micrographic writing in half circles around the perimeter lacks the floral decoration of almost all other examples from Yazd. But most unusual is the use of the Shiviti at the top with two other Hebrew texts in the shape of a Menorah. Additionally there is micrographic text in the shape of a cypress trying to separate the menorah. This document has a different layout than the later more standard Ketubot. This wedding took place on December 11, 1800 (1 Adar 5632).
Ketubah recorded the marriage of the groom Shlomo son of Moshe with the bride Sarah daughter of Yitzchak in Yazd, on Thursday 13 Adar I, 5632 (February 22, 1872). Decorated with characteristic adornments of the Shiviti. At the top is the inscription “Shiviti Hashem L’Negdi Tamid”, above three micrographic menorahs formed with the words of the Ana B’Ko’ach prayer and two Psalms. Above the two outer menorahs is G-d’s name (using the technique of coloring the space inside the letters). Between the menorahs are two more micrographic adornments, with various verses. The frame is made of half-circles composed of verses of Tehillim and Mishlei, some in acronyms. At the bottom is the Tosefet Ketubah in Judeo-Persian. Among the signatures is “Yosef son of R’ Or” [descendant of the Or Shraga and a Yazed sage].
Groom: Shlomo ben Moshe