Rocking Chairs
1890s Czech Vienna Secession Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood, Rattan, Beech
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Iron
1970s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Wood
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Pine
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
19th Century Indian Rustic Antique Rocking Chairs
Metal
Early 20th Century Czech Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood, Beech, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
2010s Italian Baroque Rocking Chairs
Silver
Late 20th Century North American Rustic Rocking Chairs
Ash
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
1880s American Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1890s American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker
1990s American Rocking Chairs
Wood, Oak
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century American Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
20th Century British Rocking Chairs
Beech
Early 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel, Wrought Iron
1970s American American Craftsman Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Walnut
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Rocking Chairs
Rush, Wood
1880s American Mid-Century Modern Antique Rocking Chairs
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Oak
1960s American American Craftsman Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Wool, Pine
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Plywood
Early 1900s Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Belgian Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Beech
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Rocking Chairs
Straw, Wood
1970s German Brutalist Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Pine
1950s Norwegian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Birch
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
19th Century British George III Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Teak, Acrylic
1940s American Shaker Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rush, Birch
19th Century English Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak, Sheepskin
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
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.
Read More
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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.