Rocking Chairs
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak, Upholstery
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wire
2010s Brazilian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
1980s French Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
19th Century English Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Birch, Leather
Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Maple
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Rosewood
1850s Unknown Antique Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1950s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Wood
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood, Beech
Late 19th Century American American Classical Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak, Bentwood
2010s Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Teak
1880s Scottish Antique Rocking Chairs
Beech
Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Beech
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak, Walnut, Leather
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1950s Unknown Minimalist Vintage Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
Mid-20th Century American American Colonial Rocking Chairs
Reed, Oak
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Hide, Alpaca, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1940s European Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
2010s Slovenian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
Late 19th Century European Colonial Revival Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
Early 19th Century American Country Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Rush, Pine
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Wood
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Velvet
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1970s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Mexican Bohemian Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1960s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1880s American Antique Rocking Chairs
Pine
1920s French Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Oak
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1920s English Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
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.
Read More
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The 'King of Slovenian Design' is getting discovered anew, thanks to reissues of his sleek and inventive postwar designs.
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.