Rocking Chairs
Early 20th Century Unknown Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Cane, Oak
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s Spanish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1960s Dutch Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan, Wood
1950s North American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
Early 2000s Balkan Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Ash, Plywood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bouclé, Bentwood
1980s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Ash, Elm
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Oak
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Rosewood
19th Century Indian Rustic Antique Rocking Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1990s Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric
1880s American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
Mid-19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Rush, Wood
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
Mid-19th Century American Country Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
20th Century Rustic Rocking Chairs
Twig
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1890s British Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
Late 20th Century American Bohemian Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane
Early 2000s Hungarian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Walnut, Birch
1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Fiberglass, Birch
Early 1900s European Vienna Secession Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1950s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
Late 19th Century American American Craftsman Antique Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Birch
1930s Danish Victorian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown American Colonial Rocking Chairs
Textile, Rush, Wood
1950s Unknown Minimalist Vintage Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1860s English Antique Rocking Chairs
Rush, Beech
1980s Finnish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Teak, Acrylic
1960s Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Walnut
19th Century English Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
20th Century European Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
Late 19th Century American Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Fabric, Faux Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century American Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Maple, Leather
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Late 19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Hickory
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
19th Century American Country Antique Rocking Chairs
Pine
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
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.