#ketubah

Ketubot (כתובות, Jewish marriage contracts) from the Ottoman Empire and Iran, 18th–19th centuries with botanic motifs.

This beautiful example comes from the city of Verona, where Jewish settlement may date to as early as the Roman period. Above the text, within a shield topped by a portrait of a man with a feathery headdress, are the coats-of-arms: at left, a squirrel perched against a fruit tree, symbol of the D'Italia family of printers to which the bride belonged; at right, the zodiac sign of Pisces within a Star of David for the groom. Affluent Italian Jewish families often adopted an unofficial coat of arms in imitation of local nobility. On the contract, the amount stipulated to be paid by the husband or his heirs in case of divorce or death is half the customary amount, since the bride was a widow.

photo from India’s Jewish Heritage: Ritual, Art, & Life-Cycle, courtesy of Samuel H. Hallegua, author of the chapter, "The Marriage Customs of the Jewish Community of Cochin."

Ketubah (marriage contract) dating back to 1718 from the collection of the Hungarian Jewish Museum.

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A Christian Ketubah Miles McWalker

The ketubah is likely the most important artwork I will ever create. It was a true labor of love.