Hans Coray 1906–1991
Hans Coray was born in Zürich in 1906 and studied romance languages, receiving his doctorate in the field in 1929. Coray was also interested in arts and design and established himself the following year as a furniture designer in Zürich. He is most famous for his 1938 Landi chair, an all-aluminum stacking chair that debuted as the official seating for the grounds at the Swiss National Exhibition of 1939. Landi was the first design of Coray’s to be put into production, after he had spent much of the 1930s experimenting with the use of sheet metal and industrial processes of production.
Coray was also associated with the Art Concret movement, founded by Theo van Doesburg in 1930 and continued after his death in 1931 by artists such as Hans Fischli and Max Bill. Art Concret focused on art being universal, anti-impressionistic and without “lyricism, drama, symbolism and so on.” These maxims guided Coray in creating works of collective appeal, functionality and simplicity. In the 1950s, Coray returned to figurative art and passed away in 1991 in his native Zürich.
Auction Results Hans Coray
Hans Coray
Landi table
estimate: $1,500–2,000
result: $4,375
Hans Coray
Early and Rare Landi chair
estimate: $3,000–5,000
result: $3,000
Hans Coray
Early and Rare Landi chair
estimate: $3,000–5,000
result: $2,500
Hans Coray
Landi armchairs, set of six
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $1,875
Hans Coray
Landi chairs, set of eight
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $1,872
Hans Coray
Landi chair
estimate: $300–500
result: $1,125
Hans Coray
Early Landi chairs, pair
estimate: $700–900
result: $1,063
Hans Coray
Landi chairs, pair
estimate: $900–1,200
result: $938
Hans Coray
Landi armchair
estimate: $500–700
result: $563
Hans Coray
Landi chair
estimate: $100–200
result: $450
Hans Coray
Landi chairs, pair
estimate: $300–500
result: $438
Hans Coray
Landi chairs, pair
estimate: $2,500–3,500
Hans Coray
Landi chair
estimate: $300–500
Hans Coray
Landi chairs, pair
estimate: $800–1,000