Ketubah (Amsterdam)

In 1654, Rahel bat Hannah Rovigo married Isaac ben Abraham de Pinto, a member of a prosperous Jewish family of merchant bankers in Amsterdam. The ketubah (marriage contract), which outlines the husband’s obligations to his wife, was illustrated by a famous artist of Italian origin, Shalom Italia, who arrived in Amsterdam around 1641. The marriage was witnessed and signed by Menasseh Ben Israel—a rabbi, scholar, and printer—and the wealthy Portuguese Jewish merchant Abraham Pereyra. In this very attractive ketubah, Shalom Italia created six vignettes, three on each side of the contract, that detail the meeting of the bride and groom, their presentation before their families, the rabbinic authorities, and their departure together. Birds and flowers encircle the vignettes.