Decorated parchment ketubah for the wedding of Shemaiah son of Aminadav Cases and Mirele daughter of Yosef Rimini. Mantua, Friday, May 25 1668.

An early, elaborate ketubah from Mantua, richly decorated with colors, geometrical patterns, gold and silver dots, and a family emblem; the earliest Italian ketubah decorated with this pattern.

The text of the ketubah is written in square letters, within the center of an architectural frame featuring a pair of pillars and an arch, decorated with an interlocking geometrical pattern colored green, red, blue and gold, with silver dots; a large image of a crown is featured in the center of the arch. The margins of the ketubah are decorated with a wide frame – in the same colors as the inner frame – with geometrical patterns of interlocking circles. The medallion located at the upper end of the frame features an illustration of a pair of doves with the word "Shalom" in between them (apparently an allegorical illustration, perhaps alluding to the bride's family emblem of a rooster), and the medallion at the bottom of the frame incorporates the groom's family emblem – an erect lion holding a branch.

The bottom margins of the ketubah text contain the signatures of the witnesses: "Shlomo son of R. Binyamin of Formiggini" and "Gur Aryeh son of R. Moshe Hoshayah HaLevi". Handwritten notes appear between the lines of the dowry and at the end of the ketubah text: "Verona currency…".

The bridegroom was a member of the respected Cases family, who were of Spanish origin and reached Tuscany and later Florence in the late 15th century. The family settled in Bologna and Mantua, where they were distinguished leaders of the Jewish community. Its members gained fame as scribes, rabbis and physicians.

The second witness, R. Gur Aryeh son of R. Moshe Hoshayah HaLevi [Finzi], was a rabbi and kabbalist in Mantua in the latter half of the 17th century. He authored a commentary on the Shulchan Aruch, printed with the Mantua 1722-1723 Shulchan Aruch edition published by his nephew R. Gur Aryeh (the second) son of R. Binyamin HaLevi Finzi. Other works of his, some kabbalistic, remain in manuscript. He was a friend of R. Moshe Zacuto (1625-1697), and the Chida reports that he heard the heavenly messenger teaching Torah to R. Moshe Zacuto (Shem HaGedolim, entry R. Moshe Zacuto).

R. Shlomo son of Binyamin Formiggini, the first witness, was a Torah scholar and kabbalist in Mantua, who served as the official scribe of the city's Jewish community.

Approx. 57X47 cm. Fair-good condition. Creases and stains, some dark. Folding marks. Tears, mainly to bottom part, including some open tears. Some tears are a few cm long. Some strips lacking, affecting decorations, some artistically repaired on paper. Several paper strips mounted on verso for reinforcement and repair of tears.

Provenance: Sotheby's, New York, June 16 2022, Lot 71.