Rocking Chairs
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Beech
1930s Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wool, Teak
20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary American Rocking Chairs
Metal
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
2010s South African Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1930s American Rustic Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood
2010s Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
Early 20th Century Japanese Showa Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s American Modern Rocking Chairs
Cut Steel
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Mid-19th Century English Antique Rocking Chairs
Iron
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Early 2000s German Rocking Chairs
Leather
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Foam, Rubber, Oak
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Ash, Beech
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine, Lambskin, Birch
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Oak
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Bentwood
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
2010s Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century Czech Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood, Beech, Lacquer
Late 20th Century Swedish Futurist Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Macedonian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Wood, Hardwood, Oak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
20th Century British Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Birch
20th Century American Country Rocking Chairs
Slate
19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Velvet, Wood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Oak
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo
20th Century Swiss Rocking Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century American American Classical Rocking Chairs
Hardwood, Paint
19th Century Austrian Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood, Leather
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Linen, Wood, Teak
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Beech
2010s Brazilian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
2010s Spanish Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
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.