Rocking Chairs
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
Late 20th Century Campaign Rocking Chairs
Leather
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Unknown Renaissance Rocking Chairs
Wood
1990s American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Victorian Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Brazilian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Cane, Wicker, Wood
Early 20th Century Danish Victorian Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Other
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
Late 19th Century Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
2010s Belgian Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
1970s German Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1850s Unknown Antique Rocking Chairs
Chrome
20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Faux Fur, Wood, Oak
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
Late 20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1970s Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Late 19th Century British Other Antique Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Walnut
Early 1900s Antique Rocking Chairs
Beech
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rosewood, Leather
1970s Italian Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
2010s Asian Modern Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
1960s Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
1890s American American Colonial Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Wool, Pine
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Teak, Acrylic
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
Early 20th Century Czech Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood, Beech, Lacquer
1910s Swedish Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Mohair, Oak
Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass, Birch
1970s Canadian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal, Aluminum
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1950s Canadian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1980s Canadian Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal, Chrome
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan, Wood
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Beech
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
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.