Rocking Chairs
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass, Iron
2010s Spanish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Spanish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s American Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Fiberglass
21st Century and Contemporary Israeli Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
Early 2000s Italian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Sheet Metal
19th Century English Regency Antique Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
Late 20th Century North American Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
19th Century American Antique Rocking Chairs
Pine
1960s Industrial Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1960s Space Age Vintage Rocking Chairs
Plastic
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Rocking Chairs
Plastic
20th Century English Victorian Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
1950s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1970s Finnish Space Age Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
Early 2000s French Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Fabric
Early 20th Century Rustic Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wicker
Late 20th Century European Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric
1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather
1990s French Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1960s Finnish Space Age Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Nickel
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.