AN IRISH GEORGE III SQUARE PIANO BY SAMUEL MORELAND, of 63 Mecklenburgh Street Lower, the case decorated with crossbanding, ebon stringing and applied brass mounts, opening to an ivory keyboard with panel inscription Improved patent Sam Moreland Grand and Square piano forte Manufacturer, 63 Lower Mecklenburgh Street, Dublin with hand-painted gilt scroll and foliate decoration to each side, raised on ring turned baluster supports and brass castors. 174cm wide, 70cm deep, 82cmPiano maker Samuel Morland, whose workshops were in Mecklenburgh street Lower from 1809 to 1832, produced pianos and harpsichords in mahogany and rosewood. The National Museum has a dedicated 19th century music room in which some of Morland’s creations can be seen today. Home entertainment in the 19th century often revolved around the piano in the parlour, and Morland’s business thrived on this rapidly expanding home market. They are as much instruments of sound as items of furniture. Over time, square pianos were built in larger sizes with more keys and a wider range; by the 1830s, square grand pianos predominated, with changes to their internal mechanisms and construction that produced larger sounds and used higher string tensions. Square pianos were the most popular keyboard instrument of the late 18th century, however they were gradually replaced by upright pianos, which had a smaller footprint and larger sound.