Rocking Chairs
Mid-20th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Maple
1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Birch
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
20th Century American Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Mahogany
1960s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Beech, Boxwood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Oak
1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Pine
1990s Rocking Chairs
Walnut
Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic, Lacquer
2010s Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Pine
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Lambskin, Rubber, Walnut
1910s Swedish Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Mohair, Oak
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1980s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
Late 20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bouclé
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Beech
20th Century Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Rocking Chairs
Mahogany, Teak, Cherry, Maple, Oak, Walnut
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Teak
1980s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Cord, Beech
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Birch
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
1850s English Campaign Antique Rocking Chairs
Iron
19th Century Italian Baroque Antique Rocking Chairs
Silver Leaf
19th Century English Aesthetic Movement Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
19th Century English Antique Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Rattan
1960s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
Early 19th Century Virgin Islands Regency Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Plywood, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Mohair, Teak
Late 20th Century Unknown Primitive Rocking Chairs
Oak
Late 19th Century Scandinavian Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Brass
1970s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Iron
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Teak
19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Rattan, 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.
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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.