Hans Harald Rath

Renowned for his timeless mid-century modern lighting fixtures and decor, designer Hans Harald Rath revolutionized the crystal chandelier with his creations inspired by celestial bodies.  

Rath was born in 1904 in Vienna into the famed J. & L. Lobmeyr dynasty. One of the world’s premier glassware makers and purveyors, J. & L. Lobmeyr is noted especially for its lighting and tableware designs. The family-owned firm was founded by Joseph Lobmeyr Sr. in 1823. In the 1930s, Rath assumed control of the company — the fourth-generation family member to head the business. 

As J. & L. Lobmeyr’s manager, Rath oversaw the company’s glassware and lighting designs. He created many pieces himself, such as the elegant Langenzerdorf crystal flush-mount chandelier and the Alpha series of hand-blown crystal tumblers, inspired by a copper beaker from the Middle Ages.

However, Rath was most known for his Metropolitan chandelier, designed in 1964, as a commission for the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City and as a gift from Austria to thank the United States for their help in restoring Europe’s post-World War II economy.

Rath worked closely with the Opera House’s architect Wallace K. Harrison, who had specific ideas about the chandeliers’ design. He presented Rath with a book, Le Ciel, by French astrophysicist Jean-Claude Pecker, filled with pictures of distant galaxies. Inspired, Rath came up with sketches of exploding stars and presented a model of the chandelier made of “potatoes and toothpicks.” Harrison was pleased and approved Rath’s design despite its somewhat crude appearance.

At the Metropolitan Opera House’s grand opening night on Sept 16, 1966, the audience gave a rousing standing ovation when 12 of Rath’s chandeliers ascended toward the ceiling. Each chandelier was a different size and comprised tiny bulbs and starbursts made of Swarovski crystals. Today, the Metropolitan lighting line continues to be among J. & L. Lobmeyr’s best-selling pieces. 

On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Hans Harald Rath lighting.