It’s not a work of fiction, but some are calling Michelangelo: La Dotta Mano (“the learned hand,” “the wise hand”) the most beautiful book in the world. The 62-pound hand-made volume–which features images of Michelangelo’s work and samples of his poetry, as well as commentary on the artist’s life and work–will be on display at the New York Public Library from Tuesday, December 2 through Monday, December 8.
You can also see the book’s marble cover and take a tour of its interior here on FMR’s (its publisher’s) website.
It takes six months and Renaissance artisan skills to hand-make a copy, and each is worth well over $100,000; according to Books Covered, twenty copies have so far been sold.
Surprisingly, it’s not the most expensive book money can buy…
