It's a great piece of art and pain in the neck at the same time.
351662
Pros: great design (I've got the black on black special edition) and great sound
Cons: it's pain in the neck to use its AirPlay. Here are three annoying persistent problems:

1. 50/50 chance that my iPhone will pick up a signal from the A8. Almost every second time I would struggle to find the A8 in my iPhone's AirPlay section. So I have to dance around, literally around, the A8 holding the iPhone in my hands and patiently anticipate an appearance of the A8's sign. Not fun. Especially when you are entertaining your friends at home.

2. Even if I managed to pick up a signal it's still not guarantied that my iPhone will pair to the A8. It takes approximately 3-5 attempts. After every attempt my iPhone would fail to put music through the A8 and start playing sound through itself. Annoying.

3. Also there is a consistent problem with dropping sound in the A8. This problem seldom occurs, but it occurs. Though as specialists say the problem with dropping sound might be due to a slow WiFi router you use in your apartment and is possible to be solved by switching to a faster WiFi router. I've never tried it as my WiFi router is very fast and I simply don't trust this solution. I do nothing about this because as I said it happens not so often.

Overall: for $1 000+ I would consider something else.

Thank you very much.
371061
Nice to show your neck in different style by wesring this lovely item
3389738
What a great piece of art! I really like it, except it's already damaged - be very careful! The laminate can get messed up in heat and/or if it's rolled improperly.
1656754
The bracelet is massive and handsome. The style is an interesting blend of modern and primitive--I think it rather looks like an ancient talisman! It arrived promptly and was well-packed in a substantial gift box.

Please note the measurements in the listing; the face is 2.5 inches in diameter. If that's what you're looking for, you'll love the statement this huge cuff makes. As you'd expect, it's heavy on the wrist. It seems to be well-made. The darkened brass metal bracelet is stiff and doesn't really bend too much, so the cuff is difficult to squeeze to fit closer around the wrist. If you have a tiny wrist, you may find it flopping around and getting caught on bare skin; you might find it better to wear it on a sleeve to take up some of the slack.

One of my two criticisms is that the labradorite stone is a dull example and lacks the blue iridescence that makes this mineral so stunning. This looks like a rather ordinary piece of stone with its mottled dark gray-green and brown tones. Attractive in its own way, but I think this stone would elicit a "meh" from real labradorite fans (like me). I realize that can happen when natural materials are used--some stones are simply livelier than others, and this is common with labradorite. The clear crystals in the bezel surrounding the dark stone are a nice counterpoint, and look particularly striking and glittery in subdued lighting or at night.

An update (and my second criticism): After owning this piece for a few months, I wound up giving it to a bigger friend--not so much because of the large appearance (which I was OK with), but because it was very uncomfortable to wear, particularly against bare skin (see the earlier paragraph). Even while wearing long sleeves, with the slightest movement of my hand or arm, the heavy cuff turned and knocked against my small but prominent wristbone so much that it literally--and visibly--bruised it. (My friend also finds the cuff somewhat annoying in feel and fiddles with it often, but because it fits her more snuggly, it doesn't create the same pain or "damage" to her wrist--plus, she loves the look of it, so she puts up with the discomfort.)

Back to the good points: The style is very versatile and can be worn with casual or dressy clothes. Also, the price was great--Neiman Marcus had the same labradorite cuff on sale online for $225, I believe, and the same style cuff with other stones (or enamel) has shown up on eBay and elsewhere for the $350 retail price.
723502
It's a beautiful piece, especially for the price.
I've had it around my neck for almost 2 weeks, and it's comfortable and sturdy.
3614717
Looks great and I would say the quality is good, only down side I would say its a little rough around the neck not the softest material and can irritate your neck area.
2252412
The artwork is great and really brings a new element to a book I've read too many times to count.
4048347
This form of art is very relaxing and fun. Anyone can do it. The only problem is it is very addicting.
2147723
Its a great pieced of art, easy to peel off to take with if u move or whatever. The only thing I think should have been added is a bigger poster to lay it on when its taken off.
2990090
On occasion I have visited art galleries and museums to see collections by Monet or Egyptian artifacts. Other times while traveling in different communities I've seen sculptures of different characters.  Some communities have animal caricatures on display and other communities have local artists displaying their work as fancy mailboxes surrounding a town square. Some of the pieces are quite spectacular while others give me pause and question why an artist would create, in my view, such strange monuments and then call it art. I personally get more pleasure from being in nature or looking at fine pastries and then maybe eating them.  Because of my own lack of interest and/or understanding of what Art is, I decided to buy this book.

Before even reading the book I found myself fascinated by the cover. It made me think and question what I'm seeing. I see a person viewing what looks like a wall with images on it. His nose is right up close to the image. What is he looking at? Is he studying a brush stroke or the texture of the piece? I wonder, is he viewing art or is he part of the piece of art? I don't know the answer but I strangely find myself engaged in the process of viewing. Through this book, the author helps me understand what Art is, its place in the past and the present, and even why Art is important. Mostly it got me to think about Art as something interesting. For me it all started with the cover.  The book and cover helped me be engaged with Art in a new way.
3404029
Not just a great graphical novel but also one of the finest works in literature. The artwork is quite powerful in an understated way. The story telling is superb.

Its not a particular easy read. The book is filled with historical references and filled with detail. There is no main plot (in the traditional sense) that drives the narrative.

A bit of patience is required, but but once the setting and the characters become familiar this is an extremely compelling and rewarding novel.
3034053
It's a beautiful piece of art work. If you're a Star Wars fan or collector, like I am, you have to have it as part of your inventory.  It's very well made and it should last forever, something the next generation can appreciate.
876953
The price is unbeatable for the piece. It is a beautiful work of art. I highly recommend it. If it had a better articulation or accessories... It's a five star for me.
498404
This is the art of writing.  It really feels like watching an artist paint, or listening to a masterpiece.  Painfully beautiful work.
4408335
I'll confess it now, I'm not much of one for most modern art. I tend to find it too loud, or too busy, or just plain awful. But, as they say, there are exceptions to every rule, and Scottish born, self-taught, artist Jack Vettriano is one of them. You might not recognize his name right off, but if you saw his work, you would know right away who he is. The best known of his works are the two paintings, Elegy for the Dead Admiral and The Singing Butler. It seems that nearly every poster shop in the world has these two available.

But I prefer his moodier, darker works. In those, men and women are shown in intimate moments. Some have dangerous overtones, others are very sexual in nature. Sometimes there is nudity, but not very often. But what does come across in every one of them is a sizzle of passion and intensity.

With his book, Studio Life, Vettriano lets us into the world where he creates his images. Even more interesting, he shows us just how he gets there -- from the places where he gets his inspiration from -- Scotland, London and Nice, France -- his models, where he works, and finally, himself.

The book is filled with photographs and reproductions of Vettriano's works, from the inital sketches and rough ideas, to how he sets up his models for a shoot -- and sometimes uses himself as a model, all the way through to the final painting.

Other intriguing aspect is how culture has both influenced, and has been influenced by, Jack Vettriano's work. I was rather pleased to see that some of my own favourites were there too -- musicians such as Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, to name a few. There's edgy glamour in his paintings, the women in them leggy and made up with scarlet lipstick, the men in suits and ties and impeccably turned out. In our age of open sleaze, and Hollywood excess, what I like about them is that it harkens back to a time when there was a bit of danger to being in love, that being with someone sometimes was a risky thing indeed, and everything could be bundled up into a single glance or the turn of a head. And sometimes, in Vettriano's work, the cigarette in a hand, or a glance.

An interesting touch is the introduction to the book, penned by none other than a fellow native son of Fife, Scotland, long time mystery author Ian Rankin. He discusses some about the nature of both the writer's and artist's life -- namely, they work alone, they have to, or otherwise nothing would ever get done.

I rather enjoy Vettriano. He's got a rough and tumble honesty to him that strips away most of the elitism or obfuscation that most modern artists cultivate. And there is a real skill underneath there, his figures are very alive and there. While his people are nearly too perfect, in a stylized film noir way, the viewer's eyes keep going back. There's a story in that painting, a snapshot of time, and you've just been allowed a peek inside. But just a peek, mind, it's up to you how the rest of it will play out.

If you can handle the sometimes disturbing, sexual, tone of his work, Vettriano is an artist that is worth a second look. While I know that there is a snowball in hell's chances of ever owning one of his works, his books do let me have a bit of his work for my very own. And that is enough.

Five stars. But not for everyone. Proceed with caution.
3699985
It's got a rough edge in the corner but it's near the base BUT I like that. It really does give off the essence it was carved into this shape a whole lot more than before. Absolutely stunning.
2914324
The Catholic Encyclopedia (which you can find on NewAdvent org) describes the Pieta in its entry on Michelangelo Buonarroti as follows:

"A calm, peaceful expression of grief rests on all the figures of the group [it was part of a larger work.] The face of the mother has youthful beauty; the head is bowed but slightly, yet expressive of holy sorrow. Her drapery lies in magnificent folds under the body of the Saviour. The latter is not yet stiff and reveals but slight traces of the suffering endured, especially the noble countenance so full of Divine peace. Not the lips but the hand shows the intensity of the grief into which the mother's soul is plunged."

This reproduction, as noted in other excellent 5 star reviews, is not a perfect scaled-down replica; but it absolutely captures the essence of the description above. This is an amazing piece of work for the price. It doesn't have the high-polish sheen of marble, but it's not at all "cheap" to the eye or to the touch. It's a faithful, beautiful rendering.

Catholics (and non-iconoclastic Christians) will be very pleased. Quiet prayer with the Holy Spirit in front of this 'Lamentation of Christ' is very moving: your thoughts lift to God, your heart breaks for Jesus, and tears are shed for the Blessed Mother. Isn't that what we believe is the true end of all art - the Greater Glory of God?