Rocking Chairs
1960s Danish Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1930s Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak, Leather, Walnut
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Mahogany
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Late 20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Hardwood, Beech
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Rocking Chairs
Linen, Wood
20th Century American Mission Rocking Chairs
Leather, Cherry
1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Birch
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1960s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Foam, Beech, Teak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Zinc
1980s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
19th Century American Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Lambskin, Rubber, Walnut
1910s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
1970s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bouclé
Late 18th Century Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Costa Rican Campaign Rocking Chairs
Wood, Leather
1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel, Chrome
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chestnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood, Teak
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rush, Oak
1950s American American Classical Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1990s American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 19th Century Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
1970s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Teak
Mid-20th Century Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Hardwood, Leather
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1980s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1930s American Rustic Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo
1850s American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Wood
1980s Swedish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Pine
Mid-20th Century Victorian Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Late 19th Century Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Hardwood
19th Century English Antique Rocking Chairs
Yew
19th Century Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Chestnut
1980s American Vintage 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.