Rocking Chairs
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century American Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Rocking Chairs
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century American Colonial Rocking Chairs
Maple
2010s Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Oak
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Swedish Rustic Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
1960s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
20th Century European Other Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
1930s Norwegian Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rope, Pine
1960s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Teak
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Hide, Alpaca, Upholstery, Walnut
Early 20th Century Rocking Chairs
Cane
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Rosewood
Early 1900s Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
1960s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rosewood
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Textile, Walnut
Late 19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
20th Century French French Provincial Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
Late 20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Suede, Walnut
1990s American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Walnut
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Oak
1960s Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Seagrass, Oak
Late 20th Century Austrian Jugendstil Rocking Chairs
Brass
1990s Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1910s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
19th Century American Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Brass
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Beech
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Canvas, Cotton, Teak
1960s Danish Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Late 19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Twig, Wood
Mid-20th Century Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1850s Scottish Folk Art Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood, Pine, Fruitwood, Ash
1850s American Mid-Century Modern Antique Rocking Chairs
Steel
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
Late 19th Century Aesthetic Movement Antique Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
1960s American Regency Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century American Victorian Rocking Chairs
Walnut, Upholstery
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
2010s Japanese Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Vintage, New and Antique Rocking Chairs
The phrase “rocking chair” didn’t find its way into the dictionary until the mid-18th century. While most of the sitting furniture that we use in our homes originated in either England or France, the iconic rocking chair is a quintessentially American piece of furniture.
A Philadelphia cabinetmaker’s bill for a proto-rocking chair issued in 1742, which identified the seat as a “Nurse Chair with rockers,” is the earliest surviving evidence of this design’s humble beginnings. The nurse chair was a low side chair intended for nursing women, so giving it a soothing rocking motion made sense. Rocking chairs, which saw a curved slat affixed to the chairs’ feet so that they could be literally rocked, quickly gained popularity across the United States, garnering a reputation as a seat that everyone could love. They offered casual comfort without the expensive fabrics and upholstery that put armchairs out of many families’ budgets.
Rocking chairs are unique in that they don’t just offer a place to rest — they offer an opportunity to reminisce. The presence of one of these classic pieces stirs up our penchant for nostalgia and has the power to transform a space. They easily introduce a simple country feel to the city or bring the peaceful rhythm of a porch swing into a sheltered sunroom. Although craftsmen took to painting and stenciling varieties of the chairs that emerged in New England during the 19th century, the most traditional rocking chairs are generally unadorned seats constructed with time-tested materials like wood and metal. As such, a minimalist vintage rocking chair can be ushered into any corner of your home without significantly disrupting your existing decor scheme or the room’s color palette.
In the decades since the first rocker, top designers have made the piece their own. Viennese chair maker Michael Thonet produced a series of rockers in the middle of the 19th century in which the different curved steam-bent wood parts were integrated into fluid, sinuous wholes. Mid-century modernists Charles and Ray Eames added wooden rockers to their famous plastic shell armchair, while Danish designer Frank Reenskaug opted for teak and polished beech, introducing pops of color with small cushions (a precursor to the bold works that would follow in the 1970s and 1980s).
No matter your personal style, let 1stDibs pair you with your perfect seat. Deck out your porch, patio or parlor — browse the vintage, new and antique rocking chairs in our vast collection today.
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How One Chair Rocked Its Way Into Hearts and History
The noted design historian explores the origins of the rocking chair, a quintessentially American piece of furniture that is still going strong after 300 years.