Rocking Chairs
1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rush, Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Walnut
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel, Chrome
Mid-20th Century Bauhaus Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Walnut
1970s American Other Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Beech
Early 20th Century Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Hickory
Late 19th Century Polish Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Bentwood
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Foam, Walnut, Bentwood
1930s American Adirondack Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1940s American Adirondack Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1920s American Adirondack Vintage Rocking Chairs
Hickory
Mid-20th Century Victorian Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Cane, Bentwood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Alpaca
1970s American Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Masonite, Paper
1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Walnut
Early 1900s German Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak, Leather, Walnut
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Teak, Acrylic
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Teak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Textile, Walnut
Late 20th Century American Space Age Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Velvet, Foam, Laminate, Wood, Bentwood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Teak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1970s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Foam, Beech, Lacquer
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
Late 19th Century American Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Pine
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Teak
2010s Japanese Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1980s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cord, Beech
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Oak
Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Antique Rocking Chairs
Beech, Bentwood
1920s American Neoclassical Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bentwood, Cane
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Faux Leather, Beech
1960s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Oak
1910s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
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.