Ketubah recording the marriage of the groom Joseph son of Israel with the bride Esther daughter of Jacob. Herat, Afghanistan, 1889.
Watercolor on paper.
The text and the blessings fill up most of the page. On the top, five red arches with blue background are inscribed with blessings and verses. Every line in the text is framed in red. On the bottom, five red cartouches with blue background. The ketubah is signed by the witnesses following the text. In Afghanistan, at the completion of the wedding ceremony, it was customary for the mother of the bride to keep the ketubah folded and sealed.
46x38 cm approximately, framed: 63x55 cm. Was not examined outside of the frame. Fair condition, some damage, holes and stains