Rocking Chairs
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Straw, Oak
Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Birch, Leather
Early 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Maple
Mid-20th Century Victorian Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Rosewood
1950s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1950s North American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
20th Century Industrial Rocking Chairs
Metal
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Canvas
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome, Metal, Steel
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome, Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak, Bentwood
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Beech
1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1970s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Beech
1950s Unknown Minimalist Vintage Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
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
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage 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
1920s French Brutalist Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Rush, Pine
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech, Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
Late 20th Century European Space Age Rocking Chairs
Brass
1970s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
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
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Lucite
1960s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
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
Mid-20th Century Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech, Teak
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.
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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.