Bamboo Rocker Chair
Antique 19th Century American Aesthetic Movement Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
Antique 19th Century American Country Windsor Chairs
Wood, Pine
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Vintage 1960s American Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Vintage 1960s Pacific Islands Bohemian Furniture
Cane, Rattan
Antique 19th Century American Victorian Patio and Garden Furniture
Wicker
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20th Century American American Colonial Windsor Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century Portuguese Baroque Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut
Antique Late 19th Century English Aesthetic Movement Corner Chairs
Rush, Beech
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Vintage 1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wool, Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Brass, Steel
Early 20th Century Chinese Export Cabinets
Brass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coat Racks and Stands
Wood, Beech
Antique 19th Century American Adirondack Windsor Chairs
Wood
Antique 19th Century English Georgian Windsor Chairs
Ash
Vintage 1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bentwood
Vintage 1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bouclé, Bentwood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Hardwood, Leather
Vintage 1960s French Brutalist Children's Furniture
Wicker, Oak
Recent Sales
Antique 19th Century English Rocking Chairs
Wood, Paint
Antique 19th Century American Painted Furniture
Bamboo, Paint, Rush
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan, Bentwood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
Vintage 1950s American Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo, Rattan
Vintage 1960s Italian Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Vintage 1950s American Hollywood Regency Patio and Garden Furniture
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Federal Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Rocking Chairs
Vintage 1960s American Rocking Chairs
Brass
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wood
Early 20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
Vintage 1960s French Bohemian Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
Antique 19th Century American Rocking Chairs
Wood
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.
- Are bamboo chairs strong?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Although construction methods also affect durability, bamboo chairs are generally strong due to the properties of bamboo. The tensile strength of bamboo per square inch is greater than that of many other materials, including steel. Shop a variety of bamboo chairs on 1stDibs.
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