Rocking Chairs
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
2010s Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Maple
1960s Costa Rican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Teak
Early 20th Century American Late Victorian Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Velvet, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Bouclé, Birch
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1940s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rosewood, Leather
20th Century Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1950s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal, Chrome
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1990s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
Early 20th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1960s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Rocking Chairs
Mahogany, Teak
Early 20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century Pakistani Modern Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Mahogany
2010s French Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Pine
1980s French Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
2010s British Rocking Chairs
Ash
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1950s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1980s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Birdseye Maple
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Hide, Alpaca, Walnut
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
1970s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rosewood, Leather
Late 20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Foam
1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Birch, Leather
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Wood
1980s American Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Walnut
2010s Brazilian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Wool, Alpaca, Teak, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wire
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1930s American Machine Age Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Maple
Mid-20th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
Late 20th Century Campaign Rocking Chairs
Leather
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
Early 20th Century Rocking Chairs
Leather, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Naugahyde, 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.