A ketubbah (“writ”) is a pre-nuptual contract that specifies many of a groom’s obligations to his bride in the event of divorce or the death of the husband. Rooted in ancient traditions, the ketubbah, the purpose of which is to protect a woman’s interests, was for much of its history a genuine contract, the specifics of which could be modified for individual relationships; eventually, though, the formula of the ketubbah was standardized. Because of the importance of the wedding in Jewish tradition,  it became customary to decorate ketubbot, and these documents are often the most beautiful artistic creations of local Jewish cultures. 

This Sephardic ketubbah (1718), printed in Amsterdam and embellished with watercolor, is rich with decorations. At the top, two putti (angels) hold a banner with the words “be’siman tov” (“in” or “with a good sign”). At the top right, the bride and groom—in contemporary Dutch clothing—express their vows to one another. On the top left, the allegorical figure of Caritas (Charity)—a common image in Baroque art in Italy and Holland—prefigures the love and kindness of the (soon to be) mother, who will bear her breast to sustain and comfort her children. That this image originates as an expression of a Christian ideal does not seem to have bothered those who created and used this ketubbah.