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Object Timeline

1938	Work on this object began.
1961	Work on this object ended.
2013	We acquired this object. We photographed this object. This was an Object of the Day.
2024	You found it!

Landi Chair

This is a chair. It was designed by Hans Coray and manufactured by P. and W. Blattmann Metallwarenfabrik. It is dated designed 1938, manufactured 1938–61 and we acquired it in 2013. Its medium is molded and punched aluminum, silver anodizing, rubber. It is a part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts department.

This chair was among the first successful seating designs using sheet aluminum—a relatively new lightweight, weather-resistant material—anodized to harden the surface and protect against corrosion. The seat and back are made of a single molded sheet perforated with circular holes that lightened the form and when used outdoors provided drainage from the rain.

This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled A chair for all seasons.

It is credited Gift of Harry C. Sigman.

Side Chair (England)
satinwood with painted decoration, ivory, caned seat.
Bequest of Mrs. John Innes Kane.
1926-22-65-a

Basket (England)
pierced and glazed earthenware (creamware).
Bequest of Erskine Hewitt.
1938-57-396-a

Box (possibly Spain)
iron, wood, red velvet lining.
Gift of Anonymous Donor.
1967-45-23

Our curators have highlighted 4 objects that are related to this one. Here are three of them, selected at random:

Dark-green wooden rocking chair, with tall arched back and arms formed from slender bent wooden branches. The arm branches are attached at the sides of the carved seat. The back branches wrap over the arm branches. On the back, three vertical ribs radiating up from seat. Four cylindrical legs sit on rockers, with two stretchers between the legs on each side.

Bentwood Rocking Chair Rocking Chair
painted maple.
Gift of George J. Fino.
1968-143-1

Chair (Denmark)
steel, wood.
Gift of Barry Friedman and Patricia Pastor.
1986-99-42

No. 8 Bench
bent beech wood, caning.
Museum purchase through gift of American Institute of Interior Designers.
1969-103-1

Its dimensions are

H x W x D: 75.9 x 51.1 x 55.1 cm (29 7/8 x 20 1/8 x 21 11/16 in.)

It has the following markings

Maker's insignia "MEWA" on face of chair back at center top. "Switzerland" stamped on rear crossbar beneath seat.

Cite this object as

Landi Chair; Designed by Hans Coray (Swiss, 1906 – 1991); Manufactured by P. and W. Blattmann Metallwarenfabrik (Switzerland); Switzerland; molded and punched aluminum, silver anodizing, rubber; H x W x D: 75.9 x 51.1 x 55.1 cm (29 7/8 x 20 1/8 x 21 11/16 in.); Gift of Harry C. Sigman; 2013-21-34

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/5yUd8/
Accession Number 2013-21-34
Object ID 51685199