One of the best things about working on Smashing The Glass is stumbling across great finds that I can’t wait to show you, or in this case, being contacted by people who completely get the Smashing The Glass ethos and have something brilliant to share. David Master and his incredible sculptural ketubot are truly one-of-a-kind and it gives me great pleasure to introduce his creations to you today.
David and his wife, Elana, recently opened their boutique online ketubah store — Timeless Ketubah — where they create and sell the world’s first truly sculptural ketubah, and just like the story of Smashing The Glass, their venture started when they were planning their own Jewish wedding. They were unable to find a ketubah that captured both the essence of rich Jewish tradition, as well as their individual and collective personalities, and from that experience their unique ketubah design was born, meaning you can now literally carve your individuality onto your wedding day and beyond.
So what exactly is a ketubah?
For the uninitiated, the ketubah (which means “something written” in Hebrew) is an integral part of the Jewish wedding and it outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom to the bride. The contract dates back to ancient times but it’s come a long way since then!
These days ketubahs (or ketubot, the Hebrew plural) are less about the business of marriage and more about the beauty. They have come to symbolise the love and commitment of a couple, and are often beautiful designs that the couple want to display prominently in their home well after their big day is over — and this is exactly where David’s creations come into their own.
The story of the sculptural ketubah
As already mentioned, the idea of creating a sculptural ketubah was born when David and his wife, Elana, were planning their own Jewish wedding. A true ‘Smashing The Glass’ couple, they took a very hands-on approach by conceptualising and creating many elements themselves, from their in-depth ceremony program, to a family tree showing several generations of wedding photos, to creating their invitations by hand, to name but a few. Of course they looked around at other ketubot, but none had that truly ‘one-of-a-kind’ factor; so they decided to create their own.
They knew that their ketubah would be a focal point of their wedding, but the response from their guests was even more positive than they had imagined it would be.
Seeing a need for this type of ketubah, and wanting to share their experience with others, the idea of creating and selling sculptural ketubot was born. After almost two years of creating prototypes, working through operations and logistics, and creating a website, Timeless Ketubah is finally here!
Why a sculptural ketubah?
David’s inspiration for the sculptural ketubot come from all around him — from his own personal experiences, seeing close-knit relationships among other people he knows, from nature, from love, and from life. As an artist, he delights in finding new ways to visually represent the various facets of a couple’s relationship, especially through diverse sculptural styles and themes. And it is through the medium of sculpture that he is able to truly represent the depth, dynamism, and multi-dimensional aspects of a couple’s relationship, and to hold the full symbolic weight of their ketubah.
Added to that, when I asked David, why a sculptural ketubah is the perfect ketubah for a ‘Smashing The Glass’ couple, he told me:
Timeless Ketubah takes a strong Jewish tradition, used by our ancestors for thousands of years, and gives it a contemporary twist. It’s for a couple who wants to connect with their past, but not at the expense of their own unique and collective personalities. It’s for a couple who wish to take something that has over the years become just a standard component of the wedding ceremony, and to make it into a memorable, meaningful work of art that they take with them for the rest of their lives.
About David’s Artistic Background
David has a diverse background in the arts, social services, and business, and just like his multi-faceted interests, his artistic styles vary greatly, ranging from surreal narratives to abstract figures. He has always been interested in art, and sold his first sculpture at just 11 years old!
While he is also a talented illustrator and painter, he has always been drawn towards the complexities and challenges of creating three-dimensional artwork. He has a true passion for creating innovative artwork, and for pushing the envelope with his artistic endeavours, having created hundreds of drawings and paintings and over 1000 sculptures (and counting).
How much does it cost?
The sculptural ketubot available to purchase online range from approximately $2,000 to $4,000 ( £1500 to £3000) and there are two further options for customised ketubot:
- Partial customized orders are available. If you have a general idea for a theme, style, design, etc. that you would love to have for your ketubah, please let David know. Time permitting, he can often create it and then feature it on the site for sale.
- Fully customized orders are also available upon request. For these orders, a new unique sculpture is created specifically for you, tailored to your specific personal taste and preferences. These start at $8,500, and can increase depending upon size, complexity, and materials requested.
For actual price points, please visit David’s Ketubah Gallery and click on the images for detailed information.
For Jewish couples all over the world
David and Elana are based in Brooklyn, New York and whilst they love to talk with customers in person, technology allows them to communicate with couples all over the world, and to ship a Timeless Ketubah anywhere on earth! It’s a small boutique business, which allows them to be flexible to the needs and locations of their customers.
To view more examples and to learn more about sculptural ketubot, visit TimelessKetubah.com. You can also find Timeless Ketubah on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
For any queries you can email David directly at David@TimelessKetubah.com or call +1 347-460-7120.
Timeless Ketubah is a Smashing The Glass handpicked sponsor and this is a sponsored post.
Thank you for supporting our sponsors! You can find out more about sponsored posts here.
All images supplied by Timeless Ketubah
