Rocking Chairs
1950s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Rattan
1920s American Other Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Cherry
2010s Australian Rocking Chairs
Lambskin, Oak
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak, Walnut
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Oak
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Beech
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane, Rattan
Mid-20th Century Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan, Cane
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
Early 20th Century Unknown Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Spanish Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
19th Century Italian Baroque Antique Rocking Chairs
Silver Leaf
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Beech
1970s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Teak
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Beech
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Teak
Early 19th Century Virgin Islands Regency Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Maple
1920s Austrian Victorian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Bamboo
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Country Rocking Chairs
Bentwood, Wood
Late 19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1970s Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Linen, Wood, Hardwood
1990s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bentwood
1980s Norwegian Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
19th Century Austrian Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood, Upholstery
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Fur, Goat Hair
Late 19th Century Italian Rococo Antique Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1890s Czech Vienna Secession Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood, Rattan, Beech
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Alpaca, Elm
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Cotton, Upholstery, Oak
Mid-20th Century Spanish Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1910s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Chestnut
1980s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Rush
1980s Mexican Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak, Walnut
1980s American Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Walnut
1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Beech
Late 19th Century European Colonial Revival Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Teak
1930s American American Colonial Vintage Rocking Chairs
Maple
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
19th Century Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Chestnut
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Oak
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.