O’REILLYS THE DESIGN SALE 26th - 29th October 2022

14 THE DES IGN SALE | Wednesday 26th – Fr iday 28th of October a silver seal, to the former Taoiseach Charles J. Haughey at the reception. Blaithan de Sachy, the Gallery’s Director, presented Dermot Desmond with a candelabra made by Marika, it was purchased by Mr. Desmond for the opening of the then new, Custom House Fi- nancial Services Centre. Mr Desmond said at the opening, “The purchase of this beautiful piece has been made…because it reflects the skills, vision and courage of the ar tist.” Marika even appeared on Gay Byrne’s The Late Late Show speaking about her immense love of design and her ar t. The exhibition was a roaring success and was a lovely tribute to Marika showcasing her timeless designs. The Hallmarking Act 1981 brought into effect a standard and hallmark for platinum in Ireland for the first time. To mark the occasion the Dublin Assay Office organised a public cere- mony for the hallmarking of the first piece. Assay Office announced a design competition for the first piece of Irish hallmarked platinum. In Marika’s submission to the Assay Office she wrote, “[the comb] is supposed to be an object d’ar t in itself, just to please the eye, and I have played around with ideas from na- ture, incorporating them with my original source of inspiration.This includes some chase and repousse work.” Marika won the com- petition becoming the first person to have a piece hallmarked in platinum in the country. This is her legacy, a clear triumph of her design and her exceptional standard of her work. The platinum Comb can be found on private display in The Assay Office. I was lucky enough to view the comb together with two of Marika’s nieces, Julie andVanessa Murnaghan as well as former Assay master, Ronald le Bas. We were kindly allowed to take a photo with the comb, as pictured. Some of Marika’s work is currently on view in the Museum of Decorative Ar ts & History, in Collins Barracks. It would be lovely to see a retrospective exhibition of Marika’s work