Select manuscript from this collection: B26  K41 K49  S102  60/107

Country of Location:
Country of Location
Switzerland
Location:
Location
Zürich
Library / Collection:
Library / Collection
Braginsky Collection
Shelfmark:
Shelfmark
K44
Manuscript Title:
Manuscript Title
Ketubah (כתובה), Rome, 8 Elul 5523 (August 17, 1763)
Caption:
Caption
Parchment · 1 f. · 84 x 46.8 cm · Rome · August 17, 1763
Language:
Language
Hebrew
Manuscript Summary:
Manuscript Summary
The Roman ketubot (sing. ketubah), the Jewish marriage contracts, in general are distinguished by their elegant Hebrew calligraphy, decorative designs, and attractive appearance. The most popular decorative themes include biblical episodes, allegorical representations, and delicate micrographic designs. The contractual text of this Braginsky Collection ketubah is surrounded by an architectural frame featuring a pair of marble columns entwined by gold leaves and topped with Corinthian capitals. A large cartouche rests on the arch supported by the columns. In it is a pastoral landscape in which stand a man wearing a long robe and a bare-breasted woman, joined around their neck by a long chain of pearls with a heart-shaped pendant. Enhancing the allusion of matrimonial harmony are family emblems of the bridal couple that appear next to each other in a cartouche above the central allegorical image. The emblem at the right, above the central allegorical image, depicting a rampant lion climbing a palm tree, is that of the groom's family, Caiatte, whereas the emblem at the left, portraying a rampant lion touching a white column, belongs to the family of the bride, De Castro. Finally, the influence of Italian culture is demonstrated in the cartouche at the bottom, with the depiction of Cupid lying next to his bow and quiver. (red)
DOI (Digital Object Identifier):
DOI (Digital Object Identifier
10.5076/e-codices-bc-k-0044 (http://dx.doi.org/10.5076/e-codices-bc-k-0044)
Permanent link:
Permanent link
http://e-codices.ch/en/list/one/bc/k-0044
IIIF Manifest URL:
IIIF Manifest URL
IIIF Drag-n-drop http://e-codices.ch/metadata/iiif/bc-k-0044/manifest.json
How to quote:
How to quote
Zürich, Braginsky Collection, K44: Ketubah (כתובה), Rome, 8 Elul 5523 (August 17, 1763) (http://e-codices.ch/en/list/one/bc/k-0044).
Online Since:
Online Since
10/13/2016
External resources:
External resources
Rights:
Rights
Images:
(Concerning all other rights see each manuscript description and our Terms of use)
Document Type:
Document Type
Document
Century:
Century
19th century
Dated:
Dated
1833
Decoration:
Decoration
Figurative, Full Page, Fully Painted, Ornamental
Liturgica hebraica:
Liturgica hebraica
Ketubbah
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e-codices · 10/03/2016, 11:46:51

Den Vertragstext dieser römischen Ketubba umgibt ein Architekturrahmen, dessen Säulen von goldblättrigen Zweigen umwunden und mit korinthischen Kapitellen gekrönt sind. In der grossen Kartusche über dem Bogen steht ein Menschenpaar in einer pastoralen Landschaft. Der Mann ist in ein langes Gewand gekleidet, das Kleid der Frau lässt ihren Busen unbedeckt. Verbunden sind beide durch eine lange Perlenkette mit einem herzförmigen Anhänger. Diese bildliche Metapher der ehelichen Eintracht (concordia maritale) war eine auf römischen Ketubbot äusserst populäre allegorische Darstellung – trotz der offensichtlichen christlichen Konnotation der Kette als einem katholischen Symbol der Unauflöslichkeit des Ehebundes. Diese und ähnliche Allegorien entstammten zeitgenössischen Musterbüchern für Künstler, vor allem dem Werk Iconologia von Cesare Ripa, dessen erste Ausgabe 1603 in Rom erschienen war. Den oberen Abschluss der Familienembleme von Bräutigam und Braut bildet jeweils eine Krone. Es ist die «Krone des guten Namens», die zu erwerben im Judentum als höchst erstrebenswertes Ziel des persönlichen Handelns gilt. Diese Interpretation unterstreichen die beiden barbusigen Allegorien der geflügelten Fama, die Ansehen und Ruhm der Familien in die Welt posaunen.Zur Liebesmetaphorik gehören die Pfauenvögel, die in ihren Schnäbeln Bänder halten, ebenso wie die kleineren weiblichen Figuren neben den beiden Säulen: Die eine präsentiert den Ehering, während die andere über dem Kopf ein seltsames Strahlengebilde mit einem Herz in der Mitte trägt. Der am Boden liegende Amor in der unteren Kartusche ist offensichtlich erschöpft und hat Bogen und Köcher neben sich gelegt.

Aus: Schöne Seiten. Jüdische Schriftkultur aus der Braginsky Collection, Hrsg. von Emile Schrijver und Falk Wiesemann, Zürich 2011, S. 190.

e-codices · 10/03/2016, 11:46:03

Despite the harsh conditions of life under the rule of the popes, the Jewish community of Rome−the oldest in continuous existence in Europe−developed its own distinctive culture. While living in the overcrowded and noisy ghetto, Jews sponsored the creation of attractive pieces of Judaica that are admired to this day. One focus of local creativity was the illustrated ketubbah. Roman ketubbot are distinguished by their elegant Hebrew calligraphy, decorative designs, and attractive appearance. Customarily the bottoms taper to points because the parchment sheets were rolled from top to bottom and then tied with a ribbon attached at the end. The most popular decorative themes include biblical episodes, allegorical representations, and delicate micrographic designs.
Surrounding the text of this contract is an architectural frame featuring a pair of marble columns entwined by gold leaves and topped with Corinthian capitals. A large cartouche rests on the arch supported by the columns. In it is a pastoral landscape in which stand a man and a bare-breasted woman joined around their necks by a chain with a heartshaped pendant. This visual metaphor of concordia maritale (harmonious marriage) was the most popular allegorical representation used in Roman ketubbot, despite the obvious Christian connotation of the chain, a Catholic symbol of the indissoluble bond of marriage. The depictions of this and other allegories were inspired by popular contemporary manuals for artists, especially Cesare Ripa’s Iconologia, whose first illustrated edition was published in Rome in 1603.
Enhancing the allusion to matrimonial harmony are family emblems of the bridal couple that appear next to each other in a cartouche above the central allegorical image. The emblem at the right, depicting a rampant lion climbing a palm tree, is that of the groom’s family, Caiatte; the emblem at the left, portraying a rampant lion touching a white column, belongs to the family of the bride, De Castro. Each emblem is surmounted by the “crown of good name,” an idea reinforced by the pair of semi-nude female trumpet-blowing angels personifying fama (fame). Additional semi-nude figures appear at the sides. Finally, the influence of Italian culture is demonstrated in the cartouche at the bottom, with the depiction of Cupid lying next to his bow and quiver.

From: A Journey through Jewish Worlds. Highlights from the Braginsky collection of Hebrew manuscripts and printed books, hrsg. E. M. Cohen, S. L. Mintz, E. G. L. Schrijver, Amsterdam, 2009, p. 180.

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Schöne Seiten. Jüdische Schriftkultur aus der Braginsky Collection, Hrsg. von Emile Schrijver und Falk Wiesemann, Zürich 2011, S. 190-191.

A Journey through Jewish Worlds. Highlights from the Braginsky collection of Hebrew manuscripts and printed books, hrsg. E. M. Cohen, S. L. Mintz, E. G. L. Schrijver, Amsterdam, 2009, p. 180-181.

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