Rocking Chairs
Early 20th Century American Mission Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Teak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Rattan, Rush
1960s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Boxwood, Fabric
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Hardwood, Beech
1960s French Organic Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Rush
1980s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Early 2000s European Modern Rocking Chairs
Polystyrene
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Finnish Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
Mid-20th Century Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1960s Italian Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1970s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Yarn, Beech
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Chrome
19th Century English Country Antique Rocking Chairs
Yew
1920s American Adirondack Vintage Rocking Chairs
Hickory
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
1880s English Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Beech
Mid-20th Century Danish Brutalist Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Hide, Lucite
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1980s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rosewood, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Maple
1960s American American Classical Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Mohair, Teak
1970s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cord, Pine
1960s American American Classical Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal, Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 2000s Balkan Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Ash, Plywood
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
Mid-19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood, Paint
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1910s Swedish Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Mohair, Oak
20th Century European Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Metal
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Teak
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bamboo, Rattan
Early 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Mid-20th Century Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
Early 20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Wicker
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.