Ketubah (Jewish Marriage Certificate)

This ketubah or Jewish marriage certificate highlights the religious diversity of nineteenth-century Iran where Muslims, Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians lived together. It demonstrates how Jewish communities continued to observe ritual practices in accordance with established traditions within a largely Shi’i Muslim context. The body of the certificate specifies the names of the bride and groom, the date and place of the marriage and the names of signatories present at the ceremony. The format and structure follow a traditional format, but the details of design and ornamentation are locally inspired. The pairs of birds are allusions to the bride and groom.