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 ketubbah, from Ottoman Jerusalem (1879), is rather unusual, decorated in a folk-art style that reflects almost no connection with its setting. In fact, the ketubbah is in a style that originated in a particular city in Georgia, from which either it, or its artist, was imported. The ornamental framing of the text seems to be modeled after a building façade, with the ketubbah text in the door and various blessings in the “windows” above it.