Oak Childs Rocking Chair
Antique 1850s Rocking Chairs
Wood
Antique 19th Century English Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
Vintage 1920s French Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Oak
Early 20th Century British Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
20th Century American Windsor Chairs
Wood
Antique 19th Century Arts and Crafts Children's Furniture
Cord, Rope, Oak
Antique 19th Century English George III Children's Furniture
Oak
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1970s Contemporary Interior Prints
Lithograph
Antique 19th Century French Neoclassical Vases
Bronze
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Club Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Suede, Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Cane, Walnut
Antique Early 1800s English Georgian Beds and Bed Frames
Upholstery, Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Beds and Bed Frames
Fabric
Antique Late 19th Century French Art Nouveau Beds and Bed Frames
Mahogany
Antique 1890s American Adirondack Children's Furniture
Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century American Adirondack Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Faux Leather, Oak
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Chairs
Hardwood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Children's Furniture
Birch
Antique Early 1900s Arts and Crafts Armchairs
Oak
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century English Late Victorian Rocking Chairs
Oak
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Antique 18th Century Rocking Chairs
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Rocking Chairs
Bouclé, Velvet, Wood, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Rocking Chairs
Wool, Rubber, Oak
Antique 19th Century English Folk Art Animal Sculptures
Pine
Early 20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Oak
Vintage 1930s American Rocking Chairs
Twig, Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
Vintage 1940s Rocking Chairs
Wicker
Vintage 1950s American Rocking Chairs
Wicker
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Wood, Oak, Leather
Early 20th Century American Victorian Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Japanese Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Rope, Oak
Antique 19th Century English Armchairs
Oak, Rush
20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak
Antique Early 19th Century Great Britain (UK) Rocking Chairs
Mahogany
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Early 20th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
Early 20th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Oak
Early 20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Leather
20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Antique 19th Century American Rocking Chairs
Oak
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Beech
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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