Rocking Chairs
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Pine
Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Canvas, Oak
1970s Scandinavian Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Pine
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1970s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1970s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bouclé
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Cane
1970s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Teak
1970s Dutch Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
1970s Scandinavian Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Pine
1970s European French Provincial Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1970s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rosewood, Leather
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Beech
1970s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Lucite
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Bentwood
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Beech
1970s Italian Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Oak
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Walnut
Early 1900s Austrian Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Beech
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rosewood
Early 1900s Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Danish Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Beech
1970s Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Bentwood
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Oak
1970s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1970s Italian Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Walnut
1970s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
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.