There are coffee table books, and then there are books that ARE coffee tables - such as this Muhammad Ali tribute. Measuring a prodigious 16 x 20 x 5 ½ inches and weighting a heavyweight 75 lbs, “Greatest of All Time: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali” was published by Taschen in 2001 and contains five decades of original essays, interviews and article accompanied by over 3,000 images of boxing’s greatest star.

     Designed by artist Jeff Koons, the quality and detail poured into this monumental volume is incredible, including images in 8-color gloss varnish printing, gatefold silk-screen sequences and pink leather binding, all housed in a custom silk covered box upon which Niel Leifer’s iconic aerial view of the 1966 Ali-Williams fight is reproduced. Limited to just 9,000 copies, this is an un-corrected proof of the “Collector’s Edition” version, numbered “00000” and signed in bold black marker by both Ali and Jeff Koons. The silk covered box which houses the book shows some wear from use and storage. There are several stains visible, particularly on the sides of the box and there are multiple dings and scuffs along the edges. There is some edge separation on the upper right side of the protective box. The soft cover introduction book within is numbered and has facsimile signatures of Ali and Koons and is in very good condition, as is the main volume of work.

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