Parchment ketubah for wedding of Shealtiel son of Daniel Montalcino and Sofia daughter of Yaakov Pegna. Livorno, Italy, 6th Nisan 5621, March 17, 1861.
Ink on parchment.
Ketubah on a rectangular parchment sheet, in Sephardic semi-cursive script, with a decorated frame with verses of blessing (Mishlei 18:22, Ruth 4:11, Tehillim 128:3).
Text of ketubah followed by Tena'im and by signatures of witnesses (in Italian): R. David Ottolenghi (1808-1887, Livorno); R. Isaac Vita (Yitzchak Chaim) Alvarenga (1792-1873, Livorno); and R. Avraham Baruch Piperno (1800-1863, Chief Rabbi of Livorno, scribe of the ketubah).
The dowry is listed in both Tuscan and Italian currency, reflecting the ongoing historical transition – the wedding day coincided with the coronation of Victor Emmanuel II as the first king of a united Italy, around which time the Italian lira began to be used as legal tender throughout the kingdom.
44X31.5 cm. Good condition. Minor stains and defects.
