There are lots of wonderful Jewish wedding traditions – the seven blessings, breaking the glass, dancing the hora -- and when a client brought us a Ketubah wedding contract that had been passed down from generations, we knew we were handling a special piece of family history.
The Ketubah when our client first brought it to The Center.
The earliest known Ketubah dates from circa 440 BCE and was written on Papyrus. The original purpose of the Ketubah was to specify the husband’s obligation to his new wife, including contingencies such as the husband’s death, as a part of Jewish civil law instead of a religious document. At the time of marriage, the document was signed by two witnesses to make it a legally binding document. The Ketubah was formalized in the 1st century BCE, and through the course of several updates to the standard format in the intervening years, we now have the modern version of the Ketubah.
A modern couple signing a Ketubah, photo courtesy of TheKnot.com.
Besides standard information such as the wedding date, names of the couple, and the husband’s obligations to his wife, the modern Ketubah often includes the couple’s vows, homages to other cultures for Interfaith marriages, and artwork specific to the couple’s relationship. Although the content included in the document has changed significantly over time, its overall importance to family history has not.
The front of the document before treatment.
The verso of the document before treatment.
Our client’s Ketubah exhibited many signs typical of age-related damage inherent to decades-old paper. The paper was generally darkened and embrittled and exhibited age-related discoloration. There were tears, creases, and areas of loss that required attention. Some parts of the Ketubah had been separated from the main body of the document but were retained by the client for reattachment. The sheet exhibited moderate distortions overall. Pressure-sensitive tapes had been previously applied to the front of the document. Our conservators were excited to begin treatment to bring our client’s important document back to life.
The Ketubah as received by the Paper Department, after they had mapped out where missing parts might go.
First, our Paper Conservators surface cleaned the Ketubah with dry methods using a conservation-grade crumbled eraser to reduce surface grime. The pressure sensitive tape was carefully removed using mechanical methods, as well as by introducing gentle heat. Then the conservators mapped out where the retained fragments belonged before starting structural repairs. The fragments were reattached, and the tears were repaired using Japanese tissue and wheat starch paste.
A work-in-progress in our Paper Department.
The losses were then filled using sympathetically toned paper of a similar weight. Lastly, the document was humidified and flattened overall to reduce distortion as best as possible. The difference is dramatic:
Before treatment.
After treatment.
Todah rabah (thank you) to our client for trusting us with this important work! We know it will go on to provide insight into the past for the family’s future generations.
Watch the Ketubah transform!
