Rocking Chairs
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Maple
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Wood
1960s Italian Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary French Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Lambskin, Rubber, Walnut
1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1930s French Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
1920s American Adirondack Vintage Rocking Chairs
Hickory
2010s Guatemalan Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Plywood
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech, Teak
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Mohair, Wood
1910s American Mission Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome, Metal, Steel
Mid-19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1960s Czech Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century Korean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Cane
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
20th Century Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Wood
19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Bentwood, Cane
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Wood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Rattan, Rush
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
1960s Central American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
2010s Belgian Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 19th Century American Country Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s Scandinavian Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Pine
1960s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Teak
1910s Swedish Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Mohair, Oak
20th Century Swiss Rocking Chairs
Metal
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Beech
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Teak
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bronze
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century American Bohemian Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane
Mid-20th Century Unknown Renaissance Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Costa Rican Campaign Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Oak
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Beech
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s American 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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The 'King of Slovenian Design' is getting discovered anew, thanks to reissues of his sleek and inventive postwar designs.
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.





