A collection of Japanese swords

Technically, a katana is any Japanese sword with a single edge. In practice, however, the word is almost exclusively used to describe the long, slightly curved sword used by samurai from the Muromachi period onward. Katanas are surrounded with mythic resonance and some few swordsmiths, such as Muramasa and Masamune, have become more famous than the warriors who wielded their creations.

The most expensive katana ever sold at auction was part of the collection of Dr. Walter Ames Compton, a physician who started collecting in the early 1930s. In 1992, two years after his death, the Compton collection of 1,100 Japanese swords was sold at a Christie’s auction in New York. The auction grossed $8 million in just its first day.

The most expensive katana of the day was a 13th century Kamakura blade that sold for $418,000 to an anonymous European collector. While the most valuable katanas are likely museum pieces and utterly priceless, we can still call this one the most expensive katana in the world.

Things have been a little quiet on the Dubai front lately, but that doesn’t mean they’ve given up on expensive creations. The recently completed Dubai Fountain, for instance, is the most expensive fountain in the world.

The construction of the fountain by WET Design, the same company that designed the only slightly less impressive Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas, was announced in June, 2008, and the announcement was followed by a contest to name the fountain. The fifteen entrants who suggested “Dubai Fountain” split a prize of 100,000 dirham (US $27,226).

The Fountain itself is set in Burj Dubai Lake in the Downtown Burj Dubai development project which also includes the supertall skyscraper Burj Dubai and the Dubai Mall. Dubai Fountain is over 900 feet long and can spray jets up to 500 feet high. The fountain can spray as much as 22,000 gallons of water in the air at any given time, which can be visually enhanced by 6,600 WET superlights and 25 color projectors. The fountain can be set to music, including the Swahili song Baba Yetu from the popular video game Civilization IV and top Arab dance song Shik Shak Shok.

The Dubai Fountain cost $217 million to build.

The holidays are coming up and the UK’s Hallmark Jewelers are ringing in the season with the most expensive Christmas ornament in the world.

Adorned with 500 diamonds—three of them one carat apiece—arranged along a snowflake pattern and orbited by 188 rubies, The World’s Most Valuable Christmas Bauble, as they call it, is a truly exquisite and unique piece of holiday décor.

Work on the Bauble began on Boxing Day (December 26th, for stateside readers) 2008 and took almost a year to complete. The two halves of the interior orb were cast in London’s Hatton Garden Jewellery Quarter. The bulb was unveiled at a VIP gala and its designer, Mark Hussey, plans to display it in his Titchfield store should a buyer not be available.

The Christmas Bauble is valued at £82,000—over US $136,000.

Yesterday and Today with the “butcher cover”

Yesterday and Today was the Beatles’ twelfth US release, a collection of tracks from LPs and singles that hadn’t been released in the US. While the band didn’t appreciate the mishmash approach Capitol Records took with the album, they were able to exert some creative control over the cover—at least until it was banned. Now that cover has become the most expensive Beatles memorabilia in the world.

The original “butcher cover” features the quartet dressed as butchers, with slabs of meat and parts of plastic baby dolls strewn across their laps and shoulders. It was part of a 1966 shoot by photographer Robert Whitaker and, according to Capitol Records president Alan W. Livingston, it was Paul McCartney who insisted that it be used as the album’s cover. Unfortunately, retailer complaints led to Capital recalling the 750,000 copies of the album and pasting over the cover with a more agreeable photo.

To celebrate the remastered release of the Beatles’ back catalogue, the Saint Giles Street Gallery together with the British Beatles Fan Club put together an exhibit full of rare Beatles imagery in October 2009. Called The “Eleven Million Dollar Picture” Show, it was named after the printer’s proof of the infamous butcher cover, upon which John Lennon wrote, “here’s the famous banned butcher cover. You can sell it for $11 million dollars.”

The Saint Giles Gallery, of course, had the proof up for sale for $11 million.

The Jacht was originally a lightweight Dutch naval vessel used to pursue pirates in shallow waters. When King Charles II chose to sail in one on his return to England in what would later be known as the English Restoration, the Jacht became a symbol of important and, eventually, wealth and luxury. Today, that tradition [...]

Few things could come closer to that clichéd fantasy of young girls, to be married to a dashing prince in an extravagant wedding, than the nuptials of celebrities and billionaires. These weddings can be events that draw thousands of guests, feature lavish decorations and include performances by superstar musicians.
The wedding of Vanisha Mittal, daughter of [...]

From the pyramids of the Egyptian Pharaohs to the costly funerals of the modern day elite, one truth is made quite clear—first impressions may be important, but final impressions last longer. That’s why Michael Jackson was buried in one of the most expensive coffins in the world.
Inspired by James Brown’s 2007 funeral, the late King [...]

Extremely expensive sports utility vehicles are nothing new. Porsche and Hummer currently produce some of the world’s most expensive SUVs. An infatuation with high-priced gas-guzzlers has produced a market of jaw dropping SUVs that are sure to impress even the toughest critics.
Porsche Cayenne Turbo S – $112-150,000

This 520 horsepower beast is capable of handling even [...]

A West End stage production of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, featuring Anna Friel in Audrey Hepburn’s iconic role, has opened this month and Chambord has crafted the most expensive breakfast in the world to mark the occasion.
Chambord, known for their black raspberry liqueur, has combined the culinary arts and the jeweler’s craft with a croissant embellished [...]

RIM’s BlackBerry has come a long way in the years since its introduction as a two-way pager in 1999. Known for its push e-mail feature, the BlackBerry series held a place among the elite smartphones before anyone had even heard of an iPhone.
If that doesn’t scream “Cover it in diamonds,” well, I don’t know what [...]

Do you ever feel like your toilet paper doesn’t communicate your wealth as well as it could? Fortunately for anyone who has, that insurmountable problem has been surmounted by Renovo, makers of the most expensive toilet paper in the world.
Renovo’s luxury toilet paper is the ultimate in luxury toiletries. This soft TP is made of [...]

There are so many articles of clothing to purchase for top dollar that socks often fall on the wayside. Well, no longer—here are some of the most expensive luxury socks on the market. Know of a more expensive/exclusive pair of socks? Comment and let us know!

Falke Luxury Cashmere Knee-High Socks
$77
These 90% finest cashmere socks feature [...]

Texel sheep
If you’re like me, you’ve been pondering the most expensive sheep ever since the UK’s highest priced sheep, Tophill Joe, died some months ago. Well, wonder no further—the world’s most expensive sheep has been sold.
Purchased by a British farmer at an agricultural auction, this record-setting bit of livestock is called Deveronvale Perfection. Like Tophill [...]

Back in Olde Tymes, when men were men and razors were less than clean, aftershave was important for its antiseptic qualities. Nowadays, though, we use it primarily for its aromatic properties.
The world’s most expensive aftershave is Amouage Die Pour Homme. The 1.7 oz Eau de Toilette—a term referring to the concentration of fragrance and not [...]

It’s said that a rolling stone doesn’t gather moss. It seems the saying applies just as well to British Invaders as it does to their geological namesakes, as the Rolling Stones are the world’s most expensive wedding performers.
The band, whose name comes from a song by Muddy Waters, first claimed international superstardom with their 1965 [...]

The world’s most expensive piece of furniture isn’t a bed, a chair or even a couch—it’s a cabinet. Blurring the line between art and craft, the Badminton Cabinet is truly a unique item.
The Badminton Cabinet (or Badminton Chest) was commissioned by Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke of Beaufort, at the age of 19. It took thirty [...]

Imagine you’re sitting in your Eileen Gray “Dragons” chair, sipping a glass of Dalmore 62 Highland Malt Scotch Whisky. Where do you put your feet? Unless you somehow missed the title, you already know the answer—the world’s most expensive stool.
Sold by a jewelry store in China’s Jiangsu province, this expensive stool is made of [...]

When you think of chopsticks, you might picture the cheap, wooden pull-apart chopsticks that are consumed so quickly that the Chinese government has imposed a five percent tax on their export in order to combat deforestation. Who makes the world’s most expensive chopsticks, though?
The answer may surprise you.
French design conglomerate Louis Vuitton, known for [...]

Want to own the most expensive Xbox 360 in the world? Replace the boring old faceplate with this one and you’ll have it.
This unique faceplate was auctioned on eBay in 2005. Made of 999.9 ounces of solid 24k gold, the faceplate was cast with access to all the ports and receivers necessary to enjoy [...]

It’s not just the world’s most expensive potato; it’s one of the world’s five most expensive foods. It’s called La Bonnotte and it grows only on the French Isle of Noirmoutier.
The costly tuber owes its price to the fact that it must be harvested by hand and that its growing season lasts a mere ten [...]

Cheese is likely the most popular dairy product in the world, a food that predates written history. In 2004 alone, over 18 million metric tons of cheese were produced worldwide. The world’s most expensive cheese, however, is only produced at one farm and at a very specific time of year.
Unusually, the cheese isn’t made from [...]

French luxury firm S. T. Dupont—no relation to the chemical company—has been dealing in extravagance since 1872, when it was founded by Simon Tissot Dupont. Recently, for instance, they created a line of accessories inspired by the 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale. This year, they’ve produced the world’s most expensive lighter.
Part of the company’s [...]

The 1929 Leyland Lion
A British transportation museum may have just purchased the world’s most expensive tires.
The Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum’s premier exhibit, a 1929 Leyland Lion bus, required new tires to make it roadworthy for the museum’s 50th anniversary. In order to replace the old and significantly cracked tires, the museum was eventually forced [...]

The Trans-Siberian Railway, stretching across Russia from Moscow to Vladivostok, was originally approved by Czar Alexander II in the late 19th Century. Nowadays, it’s used for 30% of all Russian exports and a trip across the country can be made in as little as seven days. It’s also the route for the most expensive train [...]

Harrods, London’s premier department store, now carries a most luxurious loaf. Britain’s most expensive bread and, if you believe some of the hype surrounding it, the most expensive bread in the world, the Roquefort and Almond sourdough is created with some of the finest ingredients money can buy.
Master baker Paul Hollywood, creator of the bread, [...]