Cost savings of carving a life-sized bust:
$3,900 with Monumental
$30,000+ by hand
© 2023 by Monumental Labs, Inc.
New York, NY
Dog Sculpture We Love
Technology Meets Craft
Our robot stone carvers complete commissions in days that previously took months, allowing us to drastically lower the cost of custom sculpture.
Robots complete 95% of the work, with the final 5% completed by hand by skilled artisans.
Dog Sculpture We Love
Dog Sculpture We Love
Robots carve in days what a human can carve in months. They do so with near perfect precision. What they can't do yet are the fine details and intricate chisel marks of a human sculptor. That is why we hand-finish all of our pieces.
How does robotic carving compare to hand carving?
Yes. We can create an exact likeness of your pet using a 3D photogrammetry scanner or by using 2D images to reconstruct your pet in 3D.
Will it really look like my dog?
Pieces start at $2,000. The final price of your sculpture largely reflects the size and complexity of your commission. Larger, more complex pieces require more machine and hand-carving time.
How much does it cost?
We currently ask for a $500 fully-refundable deposit to reserve your spot in line, as we will take on fewer than 150 commissions in 2023. We'll then consult with you on your piece, give you a quote, and if you decided to move forward, start the design process. After you approve final designs, you'll pay for the sculpture and we'll start sculpting your piece.
When do I pay?
Our robots are 7-axis automated CNC machines. The have complete freedom of motion and use several types of diamond-tipped drills to mill stone.
How does the robot work?
We currently offer Indiana limestone and Carrara marble. We can also try to accommodate special stone requests.
What stone can I choose?
A piece generally takes several days to robotically carve and several days to hand finish. Sign up to reserve your spot and we'll start on your piece at the first available opportunity, starting in spring 2023.
When will my sculpture be ready?
Shipping will be arranged on a case by case basis depending on your location and the size of the sculpture.
How do you ship the sculpture?
FAQs
How much does it cost?
Pieces start at $2,000. The final price of your sculpture largely reflects the size and complexity of your commission. Larger, more complex pieces require more machine and hand-carving time.
When do I pay?
There is a $500 refundable deposit to reserve your spot and start your consultation. You pay only after the consultation and approving final designs, at which point we'll start sculpting your piece.
How does robot-carved compare to hand-carved?
Robots carve in days what a human can carve in months. They do so with near perfect precision. What they can't do ye are the fine details and intricate chisel marks of a human sculptor. Which is why all of our pieces are hand-finished.
Will it really look like my pet?
Yes. We can create an exact likeness of your pet using a 3D photogrammetry scanner or by using 2D images to reconstruct your pet in 3D.
What stone is available?
We currently offer Indiana limestone and Carrara marble. We can also try to accommodate special stone requests.
When will my sculpture be ready?
A piece generally takes several days to robotically carve and several days to hand finish. Sign up to reserve your spot and we'll start on your piece at the first available opportunity, starting in spring 2023.
Is it art if the piece wasn't carved by the artist?
The famous sculptors we revere today often employed entire workshops of artisans and apprentices to fabricate their pieces, while the artist only directed the outcomes. That's the same as at Monumental Labs, with robots replacing manual labor.
Is this good for traditional stone sculptors?
Yes. Our aim is to revive the art of stone sculpting. Robots help do that by making sculpture accessible to a lot more people. Every new commission creates work for skilled artisans, and we aim to train more stone carvers in the future than currently exist in the world.
How does the robot work?
Our robots are 7-axis automated CNC milling machines from Germany, running our own software. The have complete freedom of motion and have several types of diamond-tipped drills that remove the stone from your piece.
FAQs
Making your Sculpture
A work of artists, robots, and artisans
Artist designed
Starting with a 3D scan or just a few pictures of your dog, our artists create a digital model of your sculpture.
Robot carved
State-of-the-art CNC robots carve the piece in a fraction of the time of human sculptors, with near perfect precision.
Hand finished
Skilled artisans hand-sculpt the fine details that only humans can do. The stone is then hand polished.
Sculpture Within Reach
90%
cheaper than hand-carving alone
EXAMPLES:
$1,900
with Monumental
$19,000
by hand
Small, minimalist dog sculpture
$3,100
with Monumental
$34,000
by hand
Medium-sized, detailed dog sculpture
$4,300
with Monumental
$55,000
by hand
Large, detailed dog sculpture
How it Works
1. Consult
Tell us your vision. We'll guide you through the process to find a style and price that works for you.
Factors we'll discuss include the choice of stone, size, and level of detail. All of these factors impact the price and will help us generate a proposal.
2. Design
Our artists will create a design you love, using a 3D scan or pictures of your dog.
The sculpture will be rendered digitally in a 3D software program and once you approve, we'll move on to creating your sculpture.
3. Sculpt
Our robots carve your pieces, with skilled artisans adding the final details and polish.
We'll give you a video tour of your piece from our studio in New York. We'll find the best way to ship it to you based on your location and the size of your piece.
Fabricated in New York
Located 5 miles north of Manhattan in Mount Vernon, New York, we import stone to our workshop from across the world and work with top artists and sculptors in the region.