Rocking Chairs
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Velvet
Late 19th Century Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
1930s German Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel, Chrome
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Teak
Late 20th Century German Modern Rocking Chairs
Pine
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Iron
1960s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century American Bohemian Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
20th Century Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1970s Scandinavian Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Pine
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Teak, Acrylic
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Native American Rocking Chairs
Reed, Walnut
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Beech
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
20th Century English Chesterfield Rocking Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Birch
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Lambskin, Rubber, Walnut
1990s American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1880s American Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane, Rattan
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood, Leather
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Naugahyde, Walnut
1970s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Teak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Late 19th Century American American Empire Antique Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
Late 19th Century American American Craftsman Antique Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
Early 2000s Hungarian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Walnut, Birch
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Bentwood
Late 19th Century Italian Rococo Antique Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Papercord, Beech
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Beech
2010s Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wool, Teak
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Teak
1960s Colombian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Bentwood, Cane
1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Fiberglass, Birch
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Walnut
Early 19th Century Unknown Shaker Antique 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.
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.





