Rocking Chairs
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Velvet
1960s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1970s Scottish Victorian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Teak
Late 20th Century North American Rustic Rocking Chairs
Ash
2010s Mexican Bohemian Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1980s American Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Oak, Cane
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Chestnut
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Wood
2010s Rocking Chairs
Foam, Wood, Paper
Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1960s Italian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1950s Norwegian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Birch
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Rattan, Rush
1970s American Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Masonite, Paper
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Lucite, Cotton, Wood
1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Oak
Early 19th Century Hungarian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Straw, Bentwood
1960s American American Craftsman Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
20th Century American Folk Art Rocking Chairs
Wood, Paint
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Hide, Alpaca, Walnut
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Teak, Acrylic
2010s Slovenian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Bentwood
20th Century Industrial Rocking Chairs
Metal, Iron
2010s Brazilian Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Brass
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1960s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1980s Mexican Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Rattan
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Pine
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak, Cane
1880s American Antique Rocking Chairs
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Fabric, Faux Leather, Walnut
Early 2000s Hungarian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Birch, Walnut
Mid-19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century Edwardian Rocking Chairs
Oak, Paint
20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
1980s American Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1940s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Elm
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
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.