Spectacular Illustrated Kesubah Adorned with Micrographic Script. Rome, 1803
Ink and color on parchment
The present kesubah is an exceptional work of art on parchment which exhibits the impressive Italian artwork, calligraphy and micrographic script of the era.
Inscribed on parchment by a master scribe, the kesubah text is enclosed within several symmetrical frames containing elegant floral and botanical decorations in watercolor and ink.
Skillfully interwoven between the frames are verses from Sefer Koheles, Rus and Tehillim in fine micrography. The introductory words of the megillah, “Divrei Koheles” start at the bottom right corner and continue up to the beginning of chapter eight.
Surrounding the kesubah are beautifully inscribed verses of the blessings that the Jewish nation showered upon Boaz and Rus, as well as verses of blessings from Tehillim 128. Additional verses and blessings are bestowed upon the bride and groom, blessing them that they should grow together to be like the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, Mordechai and Queen Esther. The kesubah features a standard elegant cut at the bottom, characteristic of kesubos from early 19th-century Rome.
This kesubah documented the marriage of the groom Avraham, son of the honorable elder Rabbi Yaakov Korkos, and the bride Algriza, daughter of the honorable elder Shabtai Raphael Gonzaga.
There is an error in the year; the scribe mistakenly omitted the hundreds (5063 instead of 5563). The witnesses’ signatures are at the bottom.
View a comparable item in Guy Weinstein’s book (p. 202), which is very similar to the work of the scribe and artist who created this work of art.
Condition: good. Slight fading of color; minor damage, possibly due to moisture, with loss of text on bottom left corner.
Size: Height: 81 cm. Width: 44 cm.
Provenance: Yechezkel Toporowitch Collection
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