Rocking Chairs
Early 20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Hickory, Oak
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Baroque Rocking Chairs
Silver
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Seagrass, Beech
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Maple
Late 19th Century English Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Teak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Korean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Cane
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1970s American American Craftsman Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Walnut
1950s Belgian Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Wood
1960s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Wood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bronze
1980s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rosewood, Bentwood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Iron
20th Century British Rocking Chairs
Beech
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Beech
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
2010s Brazilian Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Birch, Leather
1950s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Fiberglass
Early 19th Century American Country Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Early 20th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Rocking Chairs
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Rush, Beech
Mid-20th Century Italian Bauhaus Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Costa Rican Campaign Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1980s Finnish Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome, Iron
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Cherry
Early 2000s American Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Bouclé, Upholstery
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
Early 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel, Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary New Zealand Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
2010s Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Walnut
1970s Colombian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Pine
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Beech
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Hickory
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Faux Leather, Oak
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, 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.
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.