Rocking Chairs
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1950s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Oak
1940s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Straw, Beech
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1960s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Twig, Cherry, Bentwood
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
1890s American Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Wood
1960s Dutch Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Teak
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Romanian Bohemian Rocking Chairs
Beech
Late 20th Century American Bohemian Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Walnut
2010s Asian Modern Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
1970s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
2010s French Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Pine
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1920s Italian Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1970s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1940s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Wood
19th Century American Antique Rocking Chairs
Rush, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Hungarian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Straw, Bentwood
1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century American Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Hide, Sheepskin, Walnut
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
1930s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Wood
1960s Dutch Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak, Velvet
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Wood
Mid-20th Century Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood, Wool, Teak
Early 20th Century American Late Victorian Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Velvet, Mahogany
19th Century English Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bentwood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage, New and Antique Rocking Chairs
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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How One Chair Rocked Its Way Into Hearts and History
The noted design historian explores the origins of the rocking chair, a quintessentially American piece of furniture that is still going strong after 300 years.