Fun with ketubot – 1830s Modena, part 1/5

[hatam_soferet]

“Can you copy this ketubah?” my client asked me.

Since this is a Historical Ketubah, there aren’t copyright issues, as there would be if someone wanted me to copy a contemporary design. So I’m happy to copy it; it’s lovely!

“Copy” can mean several different things, though.

It might mean “make us a border that looks basically like this one, but write a ketubah text for our wedding.”

It might mean “make us a border that looks very much like this one, using historically-accurate materials, but write a ketubah text for our wedding.”

It might mean “make us a border that looks like this one, with historically-accurate materials and all design flaws and age-related decay, but write a ketubah text for our wedding.”

It might mean “Copy this in every detail; it is not for a wedding, it is for an historical re-enactment.”

So first one ascertains just how close to the original the client desires it. Turns out we’re doing option 1, for this project, but you see how the others are entirely plausible also.

The image here is from the archive of the Jewish National & University Library, the JNUL. (this ketubah) They have a ketubah archive online – in their words, “The ketubbot digitization project aims to create a worldwide registry of ketubbot in public and private collections throughout the world. Based on the collection of the Jewish National and University Library with over 1600 items, the project contains ketubbot originating from dozens of different countries, and covering a time period of over 900 years. It is a major resource for research in Jewish history, law and art.”

Nifty, eh? So we have this link, to an old ketubah, and now we’re turning it into a ketubah for a contemporary wedding.

Mirrored from hasoferet.com.