Late 20th Century Animal Skin Rocking Chairs
Vintage 1980s German Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1970s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1980s American Other Rocking Chairs
Leather
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather, Beech
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather, Beech
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
Vintage 1970s Italian Bauhaus Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Oak
Vintage 1970s Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Oak
Vintage 1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1990s American Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
Vintage 1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Suede, Walnut
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech, Leather
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Hide, Lucite
Vintage 1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century Campaign Rocking Chairs
Leather
1990s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1980s Canadian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1970s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Rosewood, Leather
Vintage 1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Hide, Alpaca, Walnut
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Brass
Late 20th Century American Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Maple
Vintage 1970s Rocking Chairs
Leather
Late 20th Century North American Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather, Plywood
Vintage 1970s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Maple, Leather
1990s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather, Beech
Vintage 1970s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cowhide
Vintage 1970s Italian Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1970s French Rocking Chairs
Nickel
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
Vintage 1970s Swiss Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel, Chrome
Vintage 1970s Mexican Lounge Chairs
Wood, Leather
1990s American Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1990s Fijian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1970s European Brutalist Rocking Chairs
Leather, Pine
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
Cane, Plywood, Leather
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1970s North American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1990s Swiss Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Bentwood
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1990s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather, Upholstery, Oak
Vintage 1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century French Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather
Vintage 1970s German Space Age Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s American American Classical Rocking Chairs
Leather, Birdseye Maple
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
Vintage 1970s Costa Rican Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Teak
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Late 20th Century Animal Skin Rocking Chairs For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Late 20th Century Animal Skin Rocking Chairs?
Finding the Right Rocking Chairs for You
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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