Rocking Chairs
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak, Walnut
Late 20th Century Philippine Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1950s North American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
Late 20th Century European Space Age Rocking Chairs
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome, Metal
Early 2000s Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Fabric, Velvet
Mid-19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Metal
Late 19th Century Antique Rocking Chairs
Linen, Paint
1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary French Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Early 2000s American Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Bouclé, Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary French Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Mid-19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker
1970s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood, Leather, Fabric, Upholstery
1970s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Faux Bamboo, Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
1950s Scandinavian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Early 1900s South African Dutch Colonial Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Rattan
2010s Finnish Rocking Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Other Rocking Chairs
Laminate
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Rocking Chairs
Resin
1990s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome, Metal, Steel
1930s French Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
2010s Belgian Rocking Chairs
Metal
1890s American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker
Mid-19th Century Danish Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century Spanish Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker
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.