Rocking Chairs
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Teak
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak, Walnut
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Faux Leather, Birch
1880s American Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal, Chrome
1960s Italian Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Rosewood
1990s American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Walnut
19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Bentwood, Cane
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Teak
20th Century Danish Rocking Chairs
Canvas, Oak
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary French Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Wood, Bentwood
1890s American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker
Mid-19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Metal
1910s American Mission Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Fiberglass, Birch
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Rococo Antique Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Teak
Early 19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Iron, Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1980s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Maple
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Ash
Early 19th Century American Country Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak, Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Velvet
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century Swiss Rocking Chairs
Metal
Late 19th Century American American Empire Antique Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1930s Danish Victorian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1980s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal, Chrome, Iron
Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1960s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Beech, Boxwood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wire
1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
Early 20th Century Unknown Campaign Rocking Chairs
Tapestry, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
1910s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
1950s North American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
Early 2000s Hungarian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Walnut, Birch
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
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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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.





