Leica, never a company that shies away from extravagance or style, commissioned an acclaimed artist to sculpt a massive eight-ton marble sculpture of a Leica M11 Monochrom camera and an accompanying series of 10 smaller ones that still weigh 170 kilograms (375 pounds).
The sculpture was carved from Carrara marble by acclaimed Dutch artist Casper Braat, and rests on top of a black Marquina marble base. The sculpted Leica M11 Monochrom is intricately detailed, complete with etched buttons (although they are, of course, not operational) and a matching marble Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/1.2 ASPH. lens.
The colossal sculpture is on display now until January at Leica Welt in Wetzlar as part of Leica’s broader Celebration of Photography 2025 event that coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Leica I, the first mass-produced 35mm camera.
This is not the first time that Leica has worked with Braat on a marble Leica camera sculpture. In 2023, the Leica Store Lisse in the Netherlands sold a one-of-a-kind life-size marble Leica M camera for 3,500 euros, which is around $4,077 at current exchange rates.
Casper Braat with his huge Leica M11 Monochrom marble sculptures. 
The Leica M11 Monochrom next to the its much bigger, heavier, and more expensive marble likeness.
While the new eight-ton Leica M11 Monochrom statue is not for sale, Braat did yet again make marble Leica sculptures that are available for Leica enthusiasts and art collectors to buy. Unlike the one from 2023, which was a 1:1 replica, the new sculptures are much larger than life size. While not tipping the scales at eight tons, the 10 smaller versions still weigh 170 kilograms (375 pounds) each as Digital Camera World reports. Leica Store Lisse says the sculpture is 73 by 45 by 40 centimeters (approximately 28 by 18 by 16 inches). Talk about a tough camera to handhold.
Leica Store Lisse notes that the Leica M11 Monochrome sculptures with Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/1.2 lenses are limited to 10 sets of the sculpture and marble base and ship in bespoke Leica flight cases.
“Every detail is executed with uncompromising precision: each marble sculpture carries the same limited-edition number as its corresponding camera and lens, creating an unbreakable one-to-one connection. From the engraved serials to the markings on the lens, fidelity is absolute,” Leica Store Lisse explains.
Unsurprisingly, these gorgeous sculptures are not cheap and will set collectors back €50,000, which is over $58,000. Leica is certainly never one to take half measures, especially when it comes to celebrating the beauty of its cameras.
Image credits: Leica