Mother-of-pearl Xbox 360 units given to VIPs

If you’re one to collect special-edition units, get ready to drool over this baby: Microsoft recently commissioned a talented artisan to whip up black lacquered Xbox 360 units inlaid with mother of pearl. It’s just about the only Xbox 360 unit that all mothers will approve. See the image in the full article.

Now here’s a special edition Xbox that you won’t get your hands on, even if you have the dough. Microsoft recently commissioned Kim Young-jun, a Korean artisan, to create three lacquered black Xbox 360 units in-laid with beautiful mother-of-pearl ume flowers and butterflies.

It’s quite the piece of work, and we fancy that this is one Xbox 360 unit that you’d want to remove the casing off before sending it to Microsoft for repairs (in case it goes red-ring on you). Microsoft chairman Bill Gates had them made as VIP gifts, one of which was handed to Korean President Lee Myung-bak, and another was kept by Gates.

The beautifully modded Xbox 360 units are named “Peace”, with the flowers and butterflies symbolizing peace and harmony. “I’m grateful that Bill Gates appreciates the beauty of mother-of-pearl, which even Koreans are forgetting,” Kim said.

Microsoft was impressed with how the lacquered Xbox 360 units turned out (we are, too), and ordered a hundred more similarly-designed units to be given to more VIPs. We wish we’re VIP enough to get one, but we can always dream, right?

Via Digital Chosunilbo