Rocking Chairs
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
Late 19th Century American American Classical Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Other
Mid-20th Century Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Birch
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rope, Wood, Beech
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Teak
Mid-20th Century Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Hardwood, Leather
2010s Asian Modern Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Teak
Late 20th Century Spanish Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 18th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1890s English Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
Mid-20th Century Spanish Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Teak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Rush
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
1960s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery
1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Bentwood, Rattan
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Oak, Teak
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bouclé, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Walnut
1920s Swedish Gustavian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome, Metal, Steel
20th Century English Victorian Rocking Chairs
Rattan
20th Century English Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Cane, Ash
1980s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Rush, Hickory
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
1970s Ecuadorean American Craftsman Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1920s American Adirondack Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
20th Century British Rocking Chairs
Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Cotton, Oak
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century American Victorian Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
Early 20th Century American Victorian Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1920s American Adirondack Vintage Rocking Chairs
Hickory
Mid-20th Century Philippine Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
Late 20th Century European Rocking Chairs
Wicker
18th Century English Country Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
Early 20th Century British Rustic Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Mahogany
Early 1900s French Georgian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
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.