Rocking Chairs
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak, Sheepskin
1940s Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo
1970s Scandinavian Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Pine
2010s American Modern Rocking Chairs
Cherry
1960s American American Classical Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1970s Dutch Brutalist Vintage Rocking Chairs
Linen, Pine
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Textile, Teak
Early 2000s Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
1860s British High Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Oak
1960s Macedonian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1930s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Wood
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Bentwood
1940s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Wood
1920s Italian Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rope, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1930s Adirondack Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Hardwood
1920s Italian Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Bentwood
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo
Early 20th Century Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Beech
Mid-20th Century Victorian Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Cane, Oak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Textile, Wood
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century Spanish Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker
1940s American Industrial Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1970s German Vintage Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
20th Century French 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.