Vintage Nursery Rocker
Late 20th Century Scandinavian Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Upholstery, Hardwood
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Teak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Fiberglass
People Also Browsed
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Fiberglass, Walnut
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Maple
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Wool, Rosewood
1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Teak
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Fabric, Teak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Cane, Teak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Metal
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Fabric, Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Fabric, Teak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Iron
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Aluminum
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Upholstery, Teak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Steel
1950s Danish Vintage Nursery Rocker
Teak
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Bentwood
1950s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Wood, Faux Fur
Mid-20th Century North American Vintage Nursery Rocker
Sheepskin
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Teak
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Metal
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Sheepskin
1960s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Sheepskin
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Chrome
1960s Scandinavian Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Fabric, Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Leather, Oak
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Beech
20th Century Scandinavian Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Cowhide
1930s American Industrial Vintage Nursery Rocker
Brass, Steel
20th Century Victorian Vintage Nursery Rocker
Wood, Lacquer
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Leather, Oak, Wood
20th Century American Hollywood Regency Vintage Nursery Rocker
Lucite, Velvet
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
Upholstery, Teak
Mid-20th Century English Vintage Nursery Rocker
Fabric, Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Nursery Rocker
20th Century American Adirondack Vintage Nursery Rocker
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.
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