Marriage Contract on Vellum. Uniting Yishai Hai (Vita) son of the late Israel Pesach and Bona (Tovah), daughter of the late Abraham Baruch Norzi on Friday, 3rd of Kislev, 1763

(KETHUBAH)

3rd Kislev

Modena

1763

Text in black ink, Italian square and cursive Hebrew scripts. Text within rectangular frame. Delicate monochrome ink stylized scroll-like floral and fruit garlands set in central frame. Textual outer border comprised of Biblical quotes describing marriage inscribed in large square script. Scalloped upper border containing the “Be’simna tava,” formula

cf. Sabar 57

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries some one thousand Jews lived in the North-central Italian city of Modena. Despite harsh conditions and segregation to a ghetto (estabished in 1638), the community flourished. The two witnesses to this marriage contract were well known local rabbis who signed other local Kethuboth; Samson Haim son of Michael Nachmani and David, son of Abraham Isaac Ha’kohen. The scribe-artists of Modena where renown for their mastery of ink-drawing and attention to detail. The pen illustrations of this Kethubah, with its intricate detail, reminiscent of copper engraving and astonishing symmetry, is a fine example of Modena Kethubah decoration. See S. Sabar, A Fine Italian Kethubbah From Modena, 1762: Analysis and Evalution (accompanying this lot)