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.  

The center panel of this unusual ketubbah features three faceless figures dressed in festive garb. This may depict the Yemenite custom in which the rabbi presents the marriage contract to the bridegroom after it has been read aloud. At far left, a witness observes the ceremony. Above, a couple reclines on cushions as the man raises a cup toward the woman. Although this document was created in Yemen, the aesthetic style and the inclusion of figures borrow heavily from the Judeo-Persian tradition of ketubbah decoration. It is possible that an itinerant artist familiar with the Persian artistic tradition executed the design.