Rocking Chairs
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Steel
19th Century British Country Antique Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Pine
2010s Finnish Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s French Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Rosewood
2010s Brazilian International Style Rocking Chairs
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Oak
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
Mid-20th Century Macedonian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Wood, Hardwood, Oak
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Teak
Late 20th Century Spanish Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Wood
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Other
1880s English Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Iron
1940s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery
20th Century British Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1970s French Industrial Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Canvas, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Oak
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
Early 1900s South African Dutch Colonial Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Rattan
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel, Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Other
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Linen, Teak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Plywood
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s Finnish Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Wood, Beech, Maple
1850s English Early Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Hardwood, Oak
1960s Italian Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
1820s Irish Primitive Antique Rocking Chairs
Pine
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech, Teak, Lacquer
1990s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
1980s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Ash, Elm
1960s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 2000s Italian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Sheet Metal, Aluminum
Early 2000s Italian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Sheet Metal
20th Century Rocking Chairs
1960s European Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Beech
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Other
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Canvas
1960s Industrial Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Danish 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.
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.