Rocking Chairs
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
Late 20th Century Unknown Other Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
18th Century English Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
1980s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Hardwood, Rosewood
20th Century British Rocking Chairs
Beech
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Oak, Teak
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Wood, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Mid-19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Rush, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
20th Century German Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century Finnish Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Metal
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s French Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wool, Teak
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Beech
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Anglo-Indian Rocking Chairs
Hardwood, Walnut
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
Early 1900s British Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Ash, Elm
19th Century English Antique Rocking Chairs
Yew
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
20th Century European Bohemian Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
1950s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Rattan
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo
20th Century Swiss Rocking Chairs
Metal
Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
1910s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
Early 20th Century American Victorian Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Bentwood, Rattan
1990s American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
1890s British Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery
Mid-20th Century Korean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Cane
1920s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak, Wicker
1960s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century American Victorian Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
1980s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
Early 20th Century American American Colonial Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Chestnut
19th Century English Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
Late 19th Century American Mid-Century Modern Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
1980s Swedish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Pine
1950s Unknown Minimalist Vintage Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1960s Danish Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
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.