Decorated parchment ketubah, for the wedding of Shmuel Chaim son of Yitzchak Shlomo Leblin and Simchah Malkah daughter of Refael Yehudah Yaakov Treves. Vercelli, Italy, 4 Sivan 5560 [May 28, 1800].

Ink and paint on parchment.

Written on a rectangular sheet of parchment. The text of ketubah appears in the center, inside an arched frame, written in square script, followed by the signatures of two witnesses in cursive Italian script: Chizkiyah Yechiel Chaim (son of Menachem Tzion) Treves and Yehoshua Bentzion (son of Binyamin) Segre (on the right) and the signature of the groom (on the left).

Very richly decorated in Rococo style (although dating to several decades after this style's prime), and densely filled with illustrations of rocailles and acanthus leaves, stylized cartouches, sea shells, putti (cherubs), flowers and birds, drawn on a yellowish-gold background. The six cartouches appearing in the margins include putti and figures donning ribbons, portrayed dancing and eating fruits; in total no fewer than 18 putti are depicted. In the cartouches at the top and bottom of the ketubah appear family coats of arms (apparently those of the bride and groom): above is a tower topped by a blackbird, and below are two lions leaning against a palm tree.

The groom's name, Shmuel Chaim Leblin, and names of several family members, appear in various documents from the Piedmont region, and his own signature appears as a witness on several ketubot from the Casale Monferrato region.

The two witnesses who signed the ketubah served as rabbis in Vercelli: R. Chizkiyah Yechiel Chaim Treves served as Rabbi of Vercelli and hosted the Chida (who mentions him in his Maagal Tov); R. Yehoshua Segre (1709-1797) was an Italian rabbi, poet and kabbalist who authored many books, served as dayan and rabbi in Scandiano, Vercelli and Casale Monferrato (for further information on him, see: Kedem, Auction 77, Lot 268).

A color photograph of the ketubah was published in: Jay Weinstein, A Collectors' Guide to Judaica, London, 1985 – Plate 27.

57X50.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, some dark stains, affecting text and decorations. Some tears and perforations, professionally restored. Creases and folding marks.

The NLI Ketubot website documents 13 ketubot from Vercelli, including a similar ketubah dated 1796, apparently illustrated by the same artist (listing 990003030900205171; private collection).