Beschreibung:

HEBREW MANUSCRIPT. Marriage Contract. London Ketubbah witnessed by Rabbi David Nieto and Moses Lopez Pereira. Wednesday, 6 Kislev 5485 (22 November 1724); 294 x 330 mm. Printed on vellum. Groom: Isaac de Mattos Lopez; Bride: Sarah de Mattos Lopez. The page is adorned with an English version of a popular decorative border that originated in Amsterdam. The central text appears within a rounded archway, across which two winged putti suspend a wide banner bearing the wish "Be-siman tov." A large scrolled cartouche below the text contains the conditions ( tena'im ) of the marriage. Flanking the archway are two ornate footed vases, out of which rise a plethora of floral stems inhabited by birds and insects. A female allegory of Charity (left) and a depiction of a bridal couple (right) top the page. The English contribution to the border may be seen in the clothing worn by the couple at top right. The document is witnessed by two highly distinguished members of London's Jewish community: Rabbi David Nieto (1654-1728), a well-known philosopher and writer who served as Haham of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in London (1701-28), and Moses Lopez Pereira (c. 1699-1759), a highly successful financier in London and Vienna. A Marrano who reverted to Judaism, Pereira used his influence to aid Jewish communities throughout Europe, preventing their expulsion on more than one occasion.