Rocking Chairs
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Naugahyde, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary New Zealand Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1970s Canadian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal, Aluminum
Early 2000s Belgian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Brass, Steel, Chrome
1940s American Shaker Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rush, Birch
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
1950s Belgian Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1960s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Taisho Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
1950s Canadian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1910s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wool, Teak
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Birch
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Rocking Chairs
Brass
2010s Modern Rocking Chairs
Iron
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Unknown Bauhaus Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
Mid-20th Century Costa Rican Campaign Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1960s Italian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Rocking Chairs
Rush, Wood
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
1960s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Birch
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Ash
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak, Walnut
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Plywood
Mid-20th Century American Native American Rocking Chairs
Reed, Walnut
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
19th Century Italian Renaissance Antique Rocking Chairs
Nutwood
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1950s Norwegian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Birch
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
1970s Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
1950s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
2010s Asian Modern Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Walnut
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Late 20th Century Spanish Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Rocking Chairs
Pine, Paint
2010s American Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
2010s Tibetan Tibetan Rocking Chairs
Steel
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bronze
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.