Rocking Chairs
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Cane
Mid-20th Century Victorian Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1980s American Other Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather
1850s American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Early 2000s New Zealand American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Wood, Oak
20th Century Austrian French Provincial Rocking Chairs
Beech
Late 19th Century Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
1980s Swedish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Pine
1930s American Rustic Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Naugahyde, Walnut
Late 19th Century Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Hardwood
19th Century Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Chestnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Early 20th Century Country Rocking Chairs
Rush, Oak
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Late 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Birch
20th Century English Victorian Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Rocking Chairs
Iron
Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Hardwood, Leather
Early 2000s Swedish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1980s American American Craftsman Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
1980s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Early 20th Century American Mission Rocking Chairs
Oak
19th Century British Colonial Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood
1980s American Futurist Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Maple
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Hemp, Mahogany
Early 2000s German Rocking Chairs
Leather
1970s European French Provincial Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
Early 2000s Swedish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Pine
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Rush, Beech
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak, Hardwood, Wood, Upholstery
Early 20th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Rocking Chairs
Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century Italian Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Plywood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Rocking Chairs
Plastic
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1930s German Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome, Steel
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Faux Fur, Wood, Oak
1960s American Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Wood
1950s American American Classical Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cherry
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
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.