Dalí-designed cover stolen from a book weighing 210 kilograms in central France

A cover long associated with one of the most expensive books ever produced has been stolen from the Centre d'art contemporain in Issoire, a private museum in central France, according to Télérama. The piece is the case for "L'Apocalypse," a book edited by Joseph Foret between 1958 and 1961 with contributions from fourteen artists and writers, among them Salvador Dalí, whose design adorns the cover. El País reports that the complete work, including the book itself, weighs 210 kilograms and was for years regarded as the costliest book in the world.

Télérama describes the stolen object as a cover "of inestimable value," made of bronze and decorated with gold, precious stones and shells. It is not clear from the available reporting whether the book's printed pages were taken along with the case, or whether the theft was limited to the cover itself.

Neither outlet has yet reported a suspect, a motive or an estimate of the stolen piece's current market value. The Centre d'art contemporain in Issoire is described by Télérama as a private museum.