Vintage Early Version Swiss Garden Chairs by Hans Coray, 1950s, Set of 4

For the national exhibition "Landi 39", which took place in Zurich in 1939, the Swiss artist and furniture designer Hans Coray (1906 - 1991) was commissioned to produce a chair that could be manufactured industrially, was light, weatherproof and stackable. Numerous concerts, theater performances, the Federal Costume Festival, a large fireworks display and other attractions were shown on various squares in Zurich and at the lake basin. A total of 1,500 “Country Chairs” were provided for visitors on the exhibition grounds. The manufacturer was the Metallwarenfabrik Wädenswil (MEWA). from 1948 onwards, the chair was continued to be produced in its original form by the MEWA company. In 1962 the design was modified. In contrast to the original version with 91 holes, the new version only had 60. In order to prevent fatigue cracks in the transition between the back and the seat, the edge of the revised version was reinforced. Both of our chairs are very rare examples, probably from 1948 onwards. Good, authentic condition. Partly with traces of weathering and slight discoloration. The rubber foot pads have dried out but are intact. What is unusual about this set is that none of the four chairs have the usual cracks in the exposed areas. All in all, the chairs are in really good condition, with some patina. Manufacturer's name on the backrest. Seat height 40cm.