Ketubah (כתובה), Casale [Monferrato], 3 Adar 5435 (1 March 1675)
Description
In the 17th century, the Jewish community of Casale Monferrato had
between 500 and 600 members. The widow Giuditta Leonora, daughter
of Abraham Segre, and Moses, son of the deceased Isaak Katzighin,
the bridal couple named in this marriage contract, both belonged to
the wealthiest families of the community. The contract is
surrounded by an ornamental frame. The inner oval frame, which
contains six gilded rosettes, is decorated with flowers. Its corner
segments each contain a large medallion depicting the four
Aristotelian elements (air, water, fire and earth) and smaller
medallions depicting, in a counterclockwise direction, the twelve
Signs of the Zodiac. The outer frame contains gilt knot motifs as a
symbol of the eternal “love knot”; the cartouches in the four
corners depict allegories of the four seasons. In addition there
are representations of the five senses. The tenth cartouche, at the
top, intended for family crests, was never filled in.
