Rocking Chairs
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1970s Italian Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1960s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Fabric, Teak
Mid-19th Century Danish Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Metal
19th Century Virgin Islands Regency Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak, Cane, Mahogany
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rush
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1930s French Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Straw, Oak
1960s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Rattan, Rush
Late 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
Mid-20th Century Swedish Rustic Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
2010s New Zealand Modern Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Wood, Walnut
1970s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1970s Scandinavian Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Pine
1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Fiberglass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1940s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rosewood, Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Oak
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
1980s Swedish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Pine
Late 20th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Maple
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Iron
1950s French Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bronze
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century American Victorian Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak, Leather
2010s Italian Baroque Rocking Chairs
Gold Leaf
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Ash
Mid-18th Century English Rustic Antique Rocking Chairs
Brass
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather
20th Century Austrian French Provincial Rocking Chairs
Beech
Early 20th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
Early 2000s Italian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Sheet Metal, Aluminum
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
1960s Italian Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak, Fabric
20th Century British Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Wood, Bentwood
1850s English Early Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak, Hardwood
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.