Rocking Chairs
1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech, Teak, Lacquer
1880s English Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
19th Century French Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Upholstery
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
Mid-19th Century American Folk Art Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
19th Century British Country Antique Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Pine
1980s American Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Wood, Oak
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Brass
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Brass
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
20th Century Italian Other Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
2010s French Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Leather
Mid-20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Canvas
1970s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Beech
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
Early 2000s Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Lucite
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Oak
1820s Irish Primitive Antique Rocking Chairs
Pine
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Linen, Teak
1940s Italian Vienna Secession Vintage Rocking Chairs
Straw, Wood
2010s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
1920s British Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Plywood
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
20th Century Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Rattan
19th Century Tibetan Other Antique Rocking Chairs
Teak
2010s French Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Cane, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Seagrass, Oak
1960s European Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Oak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Wood
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Hardwood, Oak
1960s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century North American Rocking Chairs
Plastic
Early 1900s South African Dutch Colonial Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Rattan
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Rosewood
Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Walnut
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
1870s American Antique Rocking Chairs
Horn
2010s French Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric
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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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.