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It's Luxury market month! First the $5,000 Dior phone, now a $155,000 Michelangelo book! Kicking off its publication with a gala in Bologna, "Michelangelo: La Dotta Mano" ("Michelangelo: The Wise Hand"), is an over-the-top volume of photographs of this Renaissance master's sculptures. Delivered in a sleek black box, the book's cover is a a scale reproduction in marble of the "Madonna della Scala" ("Madonna of the Steps"). It also comes with it's own stand and a 500-year guarantee. Six marble sculptors are working on the first 33 limited edition copies.

Amazingly enough, it's nothing new for the publishing world - Roger Shashoua's diamond-encrusted memoir, "Dancing With the Bear", holds a hefty $1-$6 million dollar price tag. And then there's the iconic series of Visionaire "issues" that ring in at a cool $675. Who says books are dead?

via the NY Times