A Rare Decorated Ketubbah from the Portuguese Island of Faial in the Azores, 1873

Celebrating the marriage of David ben Abraham ben David Sabb𒈔ah and Tamoꦿu bat Shalom ben Moses Abeaziz on Wednesday, 12 Nisan 5633 (April 9, 1873).

This extremely rare decorated marriage contract was created to celebrate a wedding on the island of Faial, one of the nine major islands that comprise the Azores, a possession of Portugal located 1,000 miles off the coast of both Portugal and Morocco. In 1818, five Jewish merchants from Morocco whose ancestors had been expelled from Spain came to the Azores and settled there. As indicated by the surnames of the bride and groom, a majority of the small Jewish community living in the Azores originated in North Africa. By 1848, the Jews in the Azores numbered two hundred fifty, and several small communities had been established. The synagogue on the island of Faial was founded ca. 1850 but by 1887 had already closed. The architectural imagery adorning this ketubbah is a common feature of decorated marriage contracts created throughout Europe. However, the figures of Moses (at right) and Aaron (at left) are more closely associated with the imagery found on the title pages of printed Hebrew books. The present ketubbah, recording a marriage on the island of Faial, is a rare surviving document from this small Jewish commꦑunity.

Physical Description

Ink and gouache on paper (22 x 17ও in.; 560 x 430 mm). Mounted in a gilt wood frame.