Rocking Chairs
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Teak
Early 20th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chestnut
1910s American Mission Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Hickory
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1970s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Bentwood, Cane
1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood
1890s American American Colonial Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s Canadian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Sheepskin, Upholstery, Wood, Ash
20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Hickory
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Plywood, Wood
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
1850s English Campaign Antique Rocking Chairs
Iron
1980s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bouclé, Beech
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Cane, Bentwood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Iron
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Cotton, Upholstery, Oak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Faux Fur, Wood, Oak
Late 20th Century Campaign Rocking Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s German Brutalist Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Pine
Late 19th Century Scandinavian Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Brass
Late 19th Century Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Bentwood
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Faux Leather, Beech
Early 20th Century Rustic Rocking Chairs
Pine
Early 19th Century Virgin Islands Regency Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Mahogany
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Foam, Teak
19th Century English Antique Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Mahogany
1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1990s American Rocking Chairs
Wood, Oak
Mid-20th Century Korean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Cane
1970s American American Craftsman Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Walnut
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Rocking Chairs
Straw, Wood
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Rosewood
1880s American Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1960s American American Craftsman Vintage Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1980s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rosewood, Bentwood
1990s American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Brutalist Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Rush, Beech
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
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.