Rocking Chairs
1930s Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
19th Century American Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
2010s Brazilian International Style Rocking Chairs
Cord, Hardwood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1910s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Metal
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Maple
Late 19th Century Aesthetic Movement Antique Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood, Beech
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
1860s British High Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1970s Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Victorian Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Bentwood
1980s Finnish Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome, Iron
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1960s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Textile, Teak
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Teak
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut, Upholstery
Early 20th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Oak
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Walnut, Fabric
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Iron
1890s American Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Wood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Iron
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Iron
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Teak, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
1960s Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Teak
1930s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Wood
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Teak
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Rattan
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Teak, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Oak, Polyester
1940s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Straw, Beech
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
1910s Austrian Jugendstil Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Beech
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
1960s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
Mid-20th Century Romanian Bohemian Rocking Chairs
Beech
Late 18th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Oak
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
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.