1960s RAR Rocking Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller

About the Item
- Creator:Charles and Ray Eames (Designer),Herman Miller (Manufacturer)
- Design:Eames RAR RockerEames Shell Chairs Series
- Dimensions:Height: 27 in (68.58 cm)Width: 25 in (63.5 cm)Depth: 27 in (68.58 cm)Seat Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Sagaponack, NY
- Reference Number:
Charles and Ray Eames
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.
Herman Miller
No other business of its kind did more than the Herman Miller Furniture Company to introduce modern design into American homes. Working with legendary designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard, the Zeeland, Michigan-based firm fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style. In doing so, Herman Miller produced some of the most beautiful, iconic and, one can even say, noblest furniture ever.
Founded in 1923, Herman Miller was originally known for grand historicist bedroom suites: heavily ornamented wood furniture that appealed to a high-minded, wealthier clientele. The company — named for its chief financial backer — began to suffer in the early 1930s as the Great Depression hit, and D.J. De Pree, the company’s CEO, feared bankruptcy. In 1932, aid came in the form of Gilbert Rohde, a self-taught furniture designer who had traveled widely in Europe, absorbing details of the Art Deco movement and other modernist influences. After persuading De Pree that the growing middle-class required smaller, lighter household furnishings, Rohde set a new course for Herman Miller, creating sleek chairs, tables and cabinetry that were the essence of the Streamline Moderne style.
Rohde died suddenly in 1944. The following year, De Pree turned to George Nelson, an architect who had written widely about modern furniture design. Under Nelson’s leadership, Herman Miller would embrace new technologies and materials and audacious biomorphic forms. Some of the pieces the company produced are now emblems of 20th century American design, including the Eames lounge chair and ottoman and Nelson’s Marshmallow sofa and Coconut chair. As you can see on 1stDibs, such instantly recognizable furnishings have become timeless — staples of a modernist décor; striking, offbeat notes in traditional environments.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Sagaponack, NY
- Return Policy
A return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Zenith Shell Rocking Chair RAR by Eames for Herman MillerBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Sagaponack, NYThe iconic rocker: Zenith Shell Rocking Chair RAR designed by Charles and Ray Eames featuring the iconic organically shaped fiberglass shell resting ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- 1950s IT Folding Table by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman MillerBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Sagaponack, NYEames for Herman Miller IT occasional table with chrome-plated steel, lockable, folding legs suitable for uses such as light dining, card table, computer, or other ancillary use in a...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Card Tables and Tea Tables
MaterialsSteel
- Aluminum Group Lounge Chair & Ottoman by Charles and Ray EamesBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Sagaponack, NYA black leather lounge chair with ottoman each on matching anodized polished aluminum frames. Ottoman is 18" H x 21" W x 21" D.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Aluminum
- Set of LAR Chairs by Charles and Ray EamesBy Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Sagaponack, NYA rare set of 4 original LAR upholstered fiberglass lounge chairs on a wire frame base. Original Boris Kroll fabric.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFiberglass, Upholstery
- DCW Dining Chair by Charles Eames for Herman MillerBy Charles Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Sagaponack, NYAn early, Mid-Century Modern oak 'DCW' dining chair designed by Charles Eames with a double shock-mount to the backrest. Manufactured by Herman Miller in the USA, circa 1950s.Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsOak
- 1970s Danish Shaker Rocking Chair by Hans J. WegnerBy Hans J. Wegner, FDB MøblerLocated in Sagaponack, NYA Shaker Style Scandinavian Modern rocking chair designed by Hans Wegner in beech wood with a woven paper cord seat. Made in Denmark by FDB, circa 1970s.Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsPapercord, Beech
- Authentic RAR Rocking Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller, 1960sBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Brooklyn, NYAuthentic 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 Rocking Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Herman Miller Charles Ray Eames Authentic RAR Rocking ChairBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Baltimore, MDAuthentic 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
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsFiberglass
- Charles & Ray Eames "Rar" Brown Original Rocking Chair, 1977By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in The Hague, NLMid-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
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Charles & Ray Eames Lemon Yellow RAR Rocking Armchair by Herman MillerBy Charles Eames, Charles and Ray Eames, Zenith, Herman MillerLocated in Amsterdam, NLIconic RAR rocking armchair designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller / Zenith Plastics. Molded fiberglass shell in the colour Lemon Yellow with rope edge. Assembled on original zinc plated steel rocker...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Herman Miller Eames RAR Rocking ChairBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Brooklyn, NYHandsome 1950s Herman Miller Eames fiberglass shell on later rocker base. Salmon colored fiberglass with spectacular fiber contrast. Chrome plated steel rod frame with maple runners....Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Chrome
- Vintage Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller RAR Rocking Chair Restored in GoBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in SAINT LOUIS, MOThe 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
Vintage 1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsSheepskin, Fiberglass, Birch
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More

A Guide to Herman Miller’s Most Iconic Furniture
The prolific manufacturer has partnered with many of the world’s top designers since opening its doors in 1923. Here are some of the company’s greatest hits, which helped transform the American home and office.

The 16 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about to how they came to be.
The 1stDibs Promise
Learn MoreExpertly Vetted Sellers
Confidence at Checkout
Price-Match Guarantee
Exceptional Support
Buyer Protection
Trusted Global Delivery