Rocking Chairs
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Birch
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Mexican Rocking Chairs
Natural Fiber
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Mexican Rocking Chairs
Natural Fiber
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Mexican Rocking Chairs
Natural Fiber
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Mexican Rocking Chairs
Natural Fiber
Early 2000s American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Cherry
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Copper
Early 20th Century Austrian Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century American American Classical Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1940s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Birch
Early 2000s American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Cherry
Early 20th Century American Rustic Rocking Chairs
Hickory
Late 20th Century European Rocking Chairs
Wicker
20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Hickory, Oak
Mid-19th Century American Folk Art Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
19th Century American Country Antique Rocking Chairs
Pine
Late 20th Century Philippine Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Early 20th Century American Victorian Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s German Brutalist Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak, Upholstery
1960s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Fabric, Teak
1910s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
18th Century English Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Cane, Bentwood
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
This Niko Kralj Mid-Century Rocking Chair Can Be Folded and Tucked Away
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.





