Rocking Chairs
1950s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1960s Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
Late 18th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Early 1900s Austrian Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Beech
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak, Leather, Walnut
1960s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Beech
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1880s British Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Steel
1910s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1850s Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Beech
1970s Italian Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
20th Century English Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1960s Dutch Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Teak
1960s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Linen, Oak
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
2010s Mexican Modern Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Hardwood, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1920s American Neoclassical Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Faux Leather, Oak
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Teak
2010s Brazilian Rocking Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Iron
2010s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Mid-19th Century German Belle Époque Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
Early 20th Century Finnish Folk Art Rocking Chairs
Wood, Birch
1860s English Antique Rocking Chairs
Rush, Beech
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Oak
1910s American Mission Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1920s Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Cherry
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Oak
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
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.