Rocking Chairs
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Maple
21st Century and Contemporary American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Teak
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Brutalist Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Hardwood, Beech
19th Century American Country Antique Rocking Chairs
Pine
19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
Mid-20th Century Spanish Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Walnut, Fabric
20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
Early 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel, Wrought Iron
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
Early 2000s American Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Bouclé, Upholstery
Early 20th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Rocking Chairs
Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century American Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Oak
1960s Colombian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1970s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
1970s German Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1970s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cord, Pine
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Cane, Wicker, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Fiberglass, Birch
Early 2000s Belgian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
Mid-20th Century Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1970s Italian Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Late 20th Century American American Colonial Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Bentwood
20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
Late 20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1930s Danish Victorian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
19th Century Austrian Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood, Leather
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Rush, Beech
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Beech
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Faux Fur, Wood, Oak
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Mohair, Teak
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Pine
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
1990s American Modern Rocking Chairs
Bouclé
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
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.