Rocking Chairs
1940s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Chestnut
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Rocking Chairs
Pine, Paint
Mid-20th Century Unknown Bauhaus Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Bentwood
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1970s American Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Masonite, Paper
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Pine
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak, Walnut
1960s Italian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bouclé
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Rocking Chairs
Mahogany, Teak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1960s Italian Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Lambskin, Rubber, Walnut
Early 2000s New Zealand American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Wood, Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1960s American Victorian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1880s American Mid-Century Modern Antique Rocking Chairs
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Antique Rocking Chairs
Beech, Bentwood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Maple
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
Late 20th Century Unknown Primitive Rocking Chairs
Oak
1970s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Teak
1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Iron
20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Bauhaus Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic, Lacquer
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood
1960s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Iron
Early 20th Century American Victorian Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1880s American Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Brass, Steel, Chrome
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Pine
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Cane, Bentwood
1990s Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cord, Ash
1930s Danish Victorian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Rocking Chairs
Birch
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
20th Century Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Wood
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Rocking Chairs
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.