Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
American
Charles Eames and Ray Eames were the embodiment of the inventiveness, energy and optimism at the heart of mid-century modern American design, and have been recognized as the most influential designers of the 20th century.
As furniture designers, filmmakers, artists, textile and graphic designers and even toy and puzzle makers, the Eameses were a visionary and effective force for the notion that design should be an agent of positive change. They are the happy, ever-curious, ever-adventurous faces of modernism.
Charles (1907–78) studied architecture and industrial design. Ray (née Beatrice Alexandra Kaiser, 1912–88) was an artist, who studied under the Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann. They met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit (the legendary institution where Charles also met his frequent collaborator Eero Saarinen and the artist and designer Harry Bertoia) and married the next year.
His technical skills and her artistic flair were wonderfully complementary. They moved to Los Angeles in 1941, where Charles worked on set design for MGM. In the evenings at their apartment, they experimented with molded plywood using a handmade heat-and-pressurization device they called the “Kazam!” machine. The next year, they won a contract from the U.S. Navy for lightweight plywood leg splints for wounded servicemen — they are coveted collectibles today; more so those that Ray used to make sculptures.
The Navy contract allowed Charles to open a professional studio, and the attention-grabbing plywood furniture the firm produced prompted George Nelson, the director of design of the furniture-maker Herman Miller Inc., to enlist Charles and (by association, if not by contract) Ray in 1946. Some of the first Eames items to emerge from Herman Miller are now classics: the LCW, or Lounge Chair Wood, and the DCM, or Dining Chair Metal, supported by tubular steel.
The Eameses eagerly embraced new technology and materials, and one of their peculiar talents was to imbue their supremely modern design with references to folk traditions. Their Wire chair group of the 1950s, for example, was inspired by basket weaving techniques. The populist notion of “good design for all” drove their molded fiberglass chair series that same decade, and also produced the organic-form, ever-delightful La Chaise. In 1956 the Eames lounge chair and ottoman appeared — the supremely comfortable plywood-base-and-leather-upholstery creation that will likely live in homes as long as there are people with good taste and sense.
Charles Eames once said, “The role of the designer is that of a very good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests.” For very good collectors and thoughtful interior designers, a piece of design by the Eameses, the closer produced to original conception the better, is almost de rigueur — for its beauty and comfort, and not least as a tribute to the creative legacy and enduring influence of Charles and Ray Eames.
The collection of original Eames furniture on 1stDibs includes chairs, tables, case pieces and other items.
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Creator: Charles and Ray Eames
Herman Miller Eames RAR Rocking Chair in Red Orange
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Handsome 1950s Herman Miller Eames fiberglass shell on later rocker base. Red orange colored fiberglass with spectacular fiber contrast. Chrome plated steel rod frame with maple runn...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Herman Miller Eames RAR Rocking Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage Eames molded fiberglass shell in the fairest color of them all, Seafoam Green. Original top circa late 1950s-early 1960s. On later metal and wood base, in good condition with...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Fiberglass
Rocking Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Ray Eames, Charles Eames
Located in PARIS, FR
Armchair or rocking chair by designers Charles Eames (1907–1978) and Ray Eames (1912–1988) for Herman Miller in the 1950s. Good condition.
DV80
Category
Mid-20th Century Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Plastic
1950s Eames RKR Rocking Wire Side Chair with Yellow Hopsak original cover.
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Virginia Beach, VA
An iconic RKR Rocking wire side chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. This chair retains its original birch runners and original yellow hopsak fabric. The black ...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Iron
Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller Black Steel and Birch RKR Bikini Rocker
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller RKR Bikini rocking chair. One of my personal favorites, this rocking chair features an iconic wire shell chair design from Eames for Herman ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Steel
Original Vintage Charles & Ray Eames RAR Rocking Chair for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precision. With over 17 years of artisanal exper...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Iron
1970s RAR Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass and Green Upholstery Rocker Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Farmington Hills, MI
We are very pleased to offer a vintage rocking chair by Herman Miller, circa the 1970s. The RAR Rocking Chair crafted by the iconic design duo, Charles and Ray Eames, was introduced...
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Metal
Eames RAR Rocking Armchair for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A very nice iconic Mid Century designed molded fiberglass rocking arm shell chair in a parchment color . The satin black base is constructed in metal rods with birch wood runners giv...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Metal
1959 Mid Century RAR Gray Rocking Chair by Eames for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Detroit, MI
The iconic RAR chair - Rocking (R) Arm (A) Chair on Rod (R) Base - was designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1950 and launched as one of the o...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Metal
Eames RAR Rocking Chair by Zenith for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Highland, IN
The early Zenith shells are distinctive for their high fiber content and larger, more substantial rubber shock mounts, a translucent quality to the fiberglass. RAR was the designatio...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Iron
Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Millerr Midcentury Rocking Chair, circa 1960s
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
American Mid-Century Modern design rocking chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames and produced by Herman Miller with original fiberglass frame and fabric upholstered seat, refurbished...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Metal
Eames RSR Rocking Chair Elephant Gray
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Elephant gray Herman Miller Eames fiberglass shell on rocking base. Excellent grain in the fiberglass side shell and factory dark gray painted back. Stam...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Steel
RAR Rocking Chair by Charles & Ray Eames, 1950s
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Uccle, BE
This emblematic rocking chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames in the fifties is well known for its powerful form and its indisputable comfort. The RAR (Rocking Armchair Rod Base), ma...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Charles & Ray Eames RAR Rocking Chair “Zenith”
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Seattle, WA
Known as the RAR rocking chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames, this chair has Zenith checker label and is the first generation produced in Zenith Plastic Factory in Gardena, Califor...
Category
1950s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Metal
Eames RAR Parchment Rocking Chair for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Parchment fiberglass RAR rocking chair by Charles and Ray Eames and manufactured by Herman Miller. Clean shell with no cracks or holes. Signed Herman Miller and guaranteed authentic....
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Metal
Herman Miller Charles Ray Eames Authentic RAR Rocking Chair
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Baltimore, MD
Authentic rare Mid-Century Modern early RAR rocking chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. This gorgeous mid-century rocking chair was produced between 1956 -1959...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Fiberglass
Rare Eames Zenith Rocking Chair for Herman Miller, USA 1950
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A very rare rocking chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames, manufactured by Zenith / Herman Miller in the United States of America around 1950.
The first fiberglass Eames chairs were produced by Zenith Plastics and came in a limited palate of five colors. The yellow coloured edition is one of those. The early Zenith shells are distinctive for their high fiber content and larger, more substantial rubber shock mounts. It comes on a new rocker...
Category
1950s American Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Metal
Charles and Ray Eames RAR
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An early Lemon yellow rocker with its original base.
Manufacturer's Label and Date Stamp.
Category
1950s North American Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Fiberglass
Vintage Eames Wire Rocking Chair for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A rare satin black metal wire Eames rocking chair with birch wood runners and dark charcoal Naugahyde upholstered seat cover. The chair retains the fa...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Wire
Authentic RAR Rocking Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller, 1960s
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Authentic and rare RAR Rocking chair designed by Ray & Charles Eames for Herman Miller. This rocking chair was manufactured in the 1960s. The rocking chair is in original vintage con...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Metal
Charles and Ray Eames Designed 1st Generation RKR Rocker for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in San Francisco, CA
Offered here is a Charles and Ray Eames designed 1st Generation RKR Rocker for Herman Miller
Two Birch wooden rockers, steel rod base and main body of the ...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Steel
Set of Eames Plastic Rocking Armchairs for Vitra
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Cape Town, WC
The series of plastic chairs created by Charles and Ray Eames for Vitra are amongst the most recognised American furniture designs. A standout from this large family of chairs is the...
Category
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Stainless Steel
Vintage Eames Rocking Chair for Herman Miller, 1970s
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in HEVERLEE, BE
Mid century rocking chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames and produced by Herman Miller.
Fiberglass shell with red fabric upholstery and a black metal and wooden base.
1970s - ...
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Fiberglass
Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Millerr Midcentury Rocking Chair 1960s
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
American Mid-Century Modern design rocking chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames and produced by Herman Miller with original fiberglass frame and fabric upholstered seat, refurbished...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Metal
Eames Lemon Yellow Zenith Rope-Edge, RAR Rocker by Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Highland, IN
The first fiberglass Eames chairs were produced by Zenith Plastics. The early Zenith shells are distinctive for their high fiber content and larger, more substantial rubber shock mou...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Steel
Herman Miller Eames RAR Rocker in Red Orange
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Gorgeous edition of the design classics model RAR rocking chair by Charles and Ray Eames and manufactured by Herman Miller. Clean shell with gorgeous and vibrant red orange hue and n...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Fiberglass
1960s RAR Rocking Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An early example of the iconic RAR rocker with a molded, rope-edged fiberglass seat with large shock mounts, made by Zenith Plastics for Herman Miller, set upon cross-braced steel st...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Steel
Herman Miller Eames RAR Rocker in Parchment
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Gorgeous edition of the design classics model RAR rocking chair by Charles and Ray Eames and manufactured by Herman Miller. Clean parchment shell with ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Fiberglass
Early Eames for Herman Miller Rocker
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Stockton, NJ
Early Eames for Herman Miller rocker with a rare coral colored fiberglass seat. Excellent vintage condition.
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Metal
Vintage Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller RAR Rocking Chair Restored in Go
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
The classic Eames Rocker! A cult-favourite design gets an added oomph, restored in our cozy, soft, classicly-hued Gotland sheepskin. What a beautiful piece!
Herman Miller
USA, 19...
Category
1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Sheepskin, Fiberglass, Birch
Zenith Shell Rocking Chair RAR by Eames for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Sagaponack, NY
The iconic rocker: Zenith Shell Rocking Chair RAR designed by Charles and Ray Eames featuring the iconic organically shaped fiberglass shell resting ...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Steel
RAR Second Edition Rocking Armchair by Charles Eames for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Hudson, NY
Original fiberglass armed shell on black wire base with birch rocker struts and large rubber mounts. Marked on bottom, Herman Miller. The chair was on carpet most of its life.
Category
1950s American Organic Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Fiberglass
1st Generation Eames RKR Rocker by Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Highland, IN
Charles and Ray Eames designed their fiberglass and wire chairs to be fitted with a wide variety of bases to offer a range of heights, uses, and aesthetics. One of the most desirable...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Steel
Charles & Ray Eames "Rar" Brown Original Rocking Chair, 1977
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in The Hague, NL
Mid-Century Modern molded RAR rocking chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller.
This gorgeous midcentury rocking chair was produced 1977.
An original condition.
Brown colour fibreglass moulded...
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
Materials
Metal
Charles And Ray Eames rocking chairs for sale on 1stDibs.
Charles and Ray Eames rocking chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of plastic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Charles and Ray Eames rocking chairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original rocking chairs by Charles and Ray Eames were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider rocking chairs by Herman Miller, Charles Eames, and Selig. Prices for Charles and Ray Eames rocking chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $749 and can go as high as $4,800, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,950.
Creators Similar to Charles and Ray Eames
Questions About Charles and Ray Eames Rocking Chairs
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022In Vitra's collection of home furnishings, RAR means the rocking armchair rod base. It refers to wooden rocker arms with angled metal rod legs. Vitra adds them to a number of plastic chairs originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames to create rocking chairs. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Eames furniture.
- Is my vintage Eames chair real?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022To know if your vintage Eames chair is real, check for a reclining mechanism. On original chairs, the back had a permanent reclined position, so no mechanism is necessary. Also, a vintage piece is around 32 inches high, while later reproductions are normally bigger. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of expertly vetted Eames chairs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Charles and Ray Eames are famous for their chair designs. The couple released their first iconic Eames Lounge and Ottoman in 1956 and went on to create more chairs that changed the idea of comfortable seating. In addition to being great furniture designers, Ray and Charles were also graphic and textile designers, architects and film-makers. Shop a collection of Eames chairs from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 21, 2024Charles and Ray Eames were related by marriage. Charles studied architecture and industrial design. Ray (née Bernice Alexandra Kaiser) was an artist who studied under painter Hans Hofmann. They met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit and married the next year. Shop a selection of Charles and Ray Eames furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Charles and Ray Eames have been recognized as the 20th century’s most influential designers and are best known for their highly recognizable chairs. The Eames lounge chair and ottoman are an iconic duo in modern-styled furniture, and some of the first Eames items to emerge from Herman Miller are now classics: the LCW, or Lounge Chair Wood, and the DCM, or Dining Chair Metal, supported by tubular steel. Find vintage Charles and Ray Eames furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022For Charles and Ray Eames’ chairs designed for Herman Miller, molded plywood, fiberglass-reinforced plastic, bent and welded wire mesh, and cast aluminum were used in production. You can shop a collection of Eames furniture from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Rosewood was the favorite wood of famed American designers Charles and Ray Eames. Rosewood made its way into some of the duo’s most celebrated designs, including the iconic Eames lounge chair. On 1stDibs, you’ll find a collection of genuine Eames furniture from some of the world’s top sellers.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2024Yes, Charles Eames chairs are comfortable. The Eameses — Charles and Ray — were fascinated by ergonomics and designed chairs with comfort in mind. The legendary mid-century modernist designer-couple famously called their Eames lounge chair and ottoman “a special refuge from the strains of modern living” and described their design as having the “warm receptive look of a well-used first baseman’s mitt.”
While the couple’s DCW chairs, introduced in the 1940s, prioritized ease of production and affordability of materials, the Eames lounger, which debuted in 1956, was Charles and Ray’s interpretation of luxury furniture. And to the Eameses, luxury meant, above all, comfort.
Find vintage Charles and Ray Eames furniture on 1stDibs.
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