Decorated paper ketubah. Rodosçuk (Tekirdağ), Ottoman Empire, present-day Turkey, 18th Iyar 5665 [May 23, 1905].

Ink and paint on paper; woodblock printing.

Ketubah on a thick, rectangular paper sheet with a pointed protrusion at top part. Most of the area of the ketubah is filled with decorations and verses of blessing, while the margins and the center are decorated with colorful repeating vegetal patterns printed from woodcuts. The ketubah text appears in the bottom third, with signatures of groom and witnesses.

40.5X63.5 cm. Overall good condition. Light moisture damage, slightly affecting paint. Creases, minor tears and folding marks, professionally restored. Tear approx. 5 cm long, affecting ketubah text (repaired). Pen trials to margins and verso of ketubah.

The NLI ketubah site documents only five ketubot from Tekirdağ.