Shaker Rocker
Early 20th Century American Shaker Rocking Chairs
Ash, Pine
Vintage 1970s Danish Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Beech
Antique Early 19th Century Unknown Shaker Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century American American Colonial Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Chestnut
Vintage 1940s American Shaker Rocking Chairs
Rush, Birch
Recent Sales
20th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Maple
Antique Late 19th Century American Shaker Rocking Chairs
Maple
Antique 1890s American Shaker Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Maple
Antique Late 19th Century American Shaker Rocking Chairs
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Rocking Chairs
Ash, Pine
Antique Early 1900s American Shaker Rocking Chairs
Ash, Cherry
2010s American Shaker Rocking Chairs
Walnut
Antique 19th Century American Armchairs
Antique Late 19th Century Shaker Rocking Chairs
Maple
Antique Early 19th Century American Shaker Painted Furniture
Wood
20th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Maple
Early 20th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Maple
Antique 1890s American Shaker Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Maple
Antique 19th Century American Shaker Rocking Chairs
Wood
Antique 1850s American Shaker Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Wood
Antique 19th Century American Rocking Chairs
Wood
Antique 19th Century American Rocking Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1930s American Shaker Rocking Chairs
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Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Pine
Early 20th Century Shaker Dining Room Chairs
Oak, Rush
21st Century and Contemporary French Brutalist Night Stands
Oak
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Leather, Oak, Walnut
Vintage 1930s Austrian Art Deco Dining Room Chairs
Bentwood, Plywood
Vintage 1950s French French Provincial Side Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Federal Night Stands
Mahogany
Vintage 1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Seagrass, Pine
Vintage 1970s Swedish Shaker Dining Room Chairs
Seagrass, Pine
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Cabinets
Teak
Vintage 1960s French Daybeds
Elm
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Teak
1990s American Shaker Wardrobes and Armoires
Steel
Vintage 1970s Swedish Post-Modern Floor Lamps
Pine, Paper
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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