Important Judaica
Important Judaica
A DECORATED KETUBBAH FROM ANCONA, 1889
Auction Closed
June 5, 04:47 PM GMT
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
A DECORATED KETUBBAH FROM ANCONA, 1889
Ink and gouache on parchment (17 3/8 x 12 5/8 in.; 443 x 320 mm); written in Italian square script in black ink on twenty lines; ruled in plummet; witness signatures below. Tapered upper edge above a circular blessing panel; elegant floral and ribbon border design. Minor creases causing slight chipping of paint. Matted, glazed, and framed; not examined outside of the frame.
Celebrating the wedding of Elisha ben Judah Foa and Miriam bat Joseph Leone on Monday, 25 Sivan 5649 (June 24, 1889).
This ketubbah features a lush floral border of entwined vines and vibrantly painted flowers. A decorative wreath at the top encloses a text with good wishes to the young couple and to all of Israel. The bride and groom were members of the renowned Foa and Leone families, both of which had deep roots in the Jewish communities of Italy.
The custom of creating decorated marriage contracts began in Italy in the early seventeenth century and continued for over three hundred years. With time, Ancona became one of the most important centers of Italian ketubbah decoration. The present document is a particularly fine example of a decorated ketubbah from the late nineteenth century.