The Art of Matrimony: Thirty Splendid Marriage Contracts from The Jewish Theological Seminary Library

Ketubbot, which typically record the bridegroom’s obligations to his bride in case of death or divorce, have been integral to Jewish marriage for millennia.

They were kept in the homes of married Jews, be they wealthy or poor, scholar or layman, living in the West under Christian governance or in the East under Muslim rule.

The largest number of ketubbot in the Library’s extraordinary collection are from Italy, where the art of the decorated ketubbah found its most beautiful expression during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries under the influence of Renaissance and Baroque art.

Magnificent examples of Eastern marriage contracts from Egypt, Persia, Afghanistan and India, each absorbing the visual language of the surrounding culture, will also be on view.

The marriage contracts in this exhibition represent the great diversity and range of Jewish settlement throughout history. They offer a fascinating look at the lives of individual couples, varied marriage customs, and the spread of artistic styles through commerce and trade.