Rocking Chairs
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Rattan
1960s American American Classical Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal, Wrought Iron
1960s American American Classical Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Mohair, Teak
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Oak
20th Century American Mission Rocking Chairs
Leather, Cherry
1960s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Foam, Beech, Teak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
Late 18th Century Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bronze
1950s American American Classical Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rush, Oak
19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
1850s American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1980s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 18th Century American American Colonial Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak, Rush
1960s American American Classical Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bentwood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1970s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Lucite
1920s Austrian Victorian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Bamboo
1950s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Late 18th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Teak
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Oak
1960s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Teak
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1990s American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Walnut
Late 19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Walnut
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak, Leather, Walnut
1960s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood
Mid-20th Century Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
Late 18th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1970s Italian Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Walnut
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1890s American Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Wood
20th Century Mexican Rocking Chairs
Bronze
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Papercord
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Rush, Wood
1970s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1980s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Late 20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
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.