Rocking Chairs
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Bentwood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan, Cane
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Beech
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Spanish Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
Late 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
20th Century Macedonian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Rope, Wood
1920s American Other Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
1970s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Teak
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Teak
Late 20th Century Unknown Primitive Rocking Chairs
Oak
1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Pine
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Teak
Early 20th Century American Shaker Rocking Chairs
Ash, Pine
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Wicker
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Wood
1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Oak
1940s American Victorian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Maple
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Foam, Beech, Lacquer
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rosewood, Leather
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane, Rattan
1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1990s Swedish Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
1960s Macedonian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Mohair, Teak
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
Early 20th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
1910s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
Early 20th Century Unknown Victorian Rocking Chairs
Cane, Oak
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Beech
1940s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Hickory
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Velvet, 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.
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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.