Rocking Chairs
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bentwood
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Cotton, Upholstery, Oak
Late 20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Rush, Hickory
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bouclé
Mid-20th Century Victorian Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Bentwood
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
20th Century Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal, Chrome
1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
Late 20th Century Campaign Rocking Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1980s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Faux Leather, Beech
1990s American Rocking Chairs
Wood, Oak
1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1980s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
1980s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Cord, Beech
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Teak
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Rope, Oak, Walnut
1970s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Hide, Lucite
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Brass, Steel, Chrome
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Faux Fur, Wood, Oak
Mid-20th Century Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1950s Belgian Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
Early 1900s Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
1960s American American Craftsman Vintage Rocking Chairs
Walnut
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Rosewood
Mid-20th Century French Brutalist Rocking Chairs
Oak
20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Hickory
Late 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Wool, Pine
1910s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Chestnut
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Naugahyde, Walnut
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, 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.