Biretta / Web Page / COLLECTION SERIES MARBLE SCULPTURE by Martin Cooney / For Sale

Posted on July 20, 2025February 28, 2026 by Martin Cooney, Stone Sculptor

COLLECTION SERIES MARBLE SCULPTURE

Carved by MARTIN COONEY

Biretta / $6,700 / The Liberty Collection / Colorado Yule Marble

20 x 13.5 x 8″ / 33.8lbs / SN250502

Currently Displayed at The Martin Cooney STONEWORKS

121 Liberty Street, Council Grove, Kansas 66846

Please email martincooneysculptor@gmail.com for purchase information

Biretta

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In many ways it could be said that ‘Biretta’ was the first Liberty Collection Series sculpture to truly be carved in the new Martin Cooney Stoneworks, because although ‘The Liberty Bowl’ fully and justifiably claims that title for herself, both the Liberty Building and the workshop facilities within were far from complete at the time of her carving, and bore no resemblance to the prime stone carving facility that saw the completion of ‘Biretta’ – a far more involved, ambitious and downright Curvilinear Martin Cooney Hand Carved Marble Bowl, indeed.

Biretta

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Please click on a photo to enlarge.

The Liberty Slab.

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But whereas ‘The Liberty Bowl’ was a pioneer – going boldly where no Collection Series Marble Sculpture had gone before, in that the primitive conditions of the stoneworks were vying with my utter lack of knowledge of the mysterious three-ton Liberty Collection slab for major inconvenience honors, when I set out to carve ‘Biretta’, all that had changed – for good.

The workshop was running like a finely tuned engine, my knowledge of this wonderful looking, brighter than bright Colorado Yule Marble rough block had expanded exponentially, from nothing at all to entire volumes of information regarding its properties, composition, complexities, tolerances and mood. Yes, “mood”. For marble is moody indeed.

A curvilinear marble bowl named 'Biretta', showcasing smooth, flowing contours and a glossy white finish, resting on a dark surface.

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The point being that with ‘The Liberty Bowl’, I was shaking off a decade of marble carving rust; I had no idea of the complex properties of the marble I was carving; and it just felt strange to be once again carving Collection Series Marble Sculpture. It still does to some extent, though at the time of writing this I now have six Liberty Collection sculptures under my belt, so familiarity is returning in spades as I set about splitting and carving the three-ton block into various shapes and sizes – as you will be seeing, very shortly.

Biretta rough block.

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This time around I was assisted by a much more uniform and pliable shape, provided by a much simpler split: splitting off the other corner of the slab to that of The Liberty Bowl. In short, it was ideal for the bowl I had in mind. All I had to do was cut off the triangular corner to create its base and angle the plane so as to facilitate the design I had in mind.

Biretta on the banker in the Martin Cooney Stoneworks.

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All-in-all, I have to say that the carving process went just about as well as did the splitting. I was beginning to appreciate the simple nature of this ‘new’ marble. Its pure whiteness and almost total lack of intrusions made it rather a dream to carve, with little or none of the tantrums that ‘Mabel, the Spirit in the Stone’, had thrown at me with some of the more flamboyant Colorado Yule Marble blocks I had carved in the past. This block was a bit chalky though – tough, hard … but definitely chalky, compared to the more brittle and extroverted blocks I had encountered during the early days of the Collection Series.

Top view of a white marble bowl named 'Biretta', featuring curvilinear edges and a smooth surface, set against a black background.

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The finished carving left me with a real sense of satisfaction as I gazed upon the rounded curves, the huge overhang and the overall neatness of design. In fact, I was now eager to explore these ‘well behaved’ qualities all the more, as I anticipated carving after carving producing sculpture after sculpture – each with their own unique characteristics, and each flaunting this whiter than white whiteness in so many interesting ways. Food for thought, for sure.

Sleek, curvilinear marble bowl sculpture named 'Biretta', crafted by Martin Cooney, showcased against a black background.

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You’ll be seeing the rest of the three-ton block rendered into unique, distinctly reductionist sculpture – mostly Curvilinear, perhaps some not, but by and large they will all be (if my experience with the block so far is anything to go by) a pure joy to carve.

A sculptural bowl named 'Biretta', made of white Colorado Yule marble, featuring smooth, curvilinear shapes and an elegantly elevated base.

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As with all of my signature Collection Series Marble Sculpture, my Mark, along with the pieces’ Serial Number are carved or inscribed on the underside of ‘Biretta’s base, and all of my bowls receive an invisible impregnating Italian protective sealant to allow them to take their place alongside you in ‘the real world’. Mound them with ice, pile them with oysters, the catch of the day, wine, champagne, fruit, vegetables … use them how you may. They are not only stand alone ‘Objects of Beauty’, but they are also fully functioning display bowls, carved for the purpose. Sit them in a window and they will blaze with light and resonate with an opaque beauty that is hard to describe, you almost HAVE to see it to understand. But they will definitely grab the attention of all who encounter them.

A white marble sculpture named 'Biretta', featuring smooth, curvilinear shapes and a sleek design, resting on a dark surface.

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The name? Well, Birettas were four cornered hats, popular many years ago around the Mediterranean, particularly by the clergy, apparently. But gazing on those curvy Curvilinear corners standing proud on such a small, petite stand, the idea of a hat hit me straight away – it looks like some sort of hat! And anyway, I just like the name.

A sleek, curved marble sculpture named 'Biretta' displayed against a dark background, showcasing its elegant design and smooth surface.

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Tippy, with all that overhang? No Way. The dead weight that marble carries (165lbs per 12x12x12” cubic foot!), unlike wood, say, or ceramics, allows for plenty of counterbalance to be left in place (but hidden, for the most part) so that all of my bowls are carved with at least 30 degrees of self-righting tolerance designed right into them – even when loaded with cargo, as it were, they will always stay upright and stable, unless unfairly abused.

Footnote: when it comes to reductionism, no one out reduces Martin Cooney! The rough block that held Biretta, until I released her, weighed in at a full 139 lbs (The Liberty Bowl 130 lbs), but both ended up at a tenth of that amount, with Biretta tipping the scales at just 33.8 lbs, and The Liberty Bowl just 23 lbs, if you can believe that! So, even with parameters virtually unchanged from their rougher than rough block, just about anyone can simply pick them up and place them whenever and wherever they want. Think about that for a moment. Ever picked up a marble sculpture measuring 20 x 13.5 x 8 inches? No, because it would weigh in the region of 130 to 140 lbs.

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Please click on an image to enlarge.