Identifying Old Rocking Chairs Identifying old rocking chairs is not difficult if you take a little time to research the unique characteristics of various styles and eras. Look carefully at the following images. They represent several different decades of rocking chairs. This small chair is a ladies sewing rocker, sometimes called a nursing rocker. The chair is always bigger than child-size but smaller than a full size rocker would be. The lack of arms allowed the lady of the house to easily nurse and infant or sew a shirt while she rocked. These are utilitarian chairs, usually simple and made from pine. Pressed Back The pressed back rocking chair was part of the colonial revival style that lasted from about 1870 to 1920. You can easily identify this style by the raised design of the wood on the back. this style became popular again in the 1980s. Antique Wicker Rocking Chair It is hard to imagine a proper Victorian veranda with out a wicker rocker. Wicker had been used since Roman times to create furniture and was popular as early as the middle of the 1700s in the United States.
Victorians perfected the design, and loved wicker because it allowed them to have all the scroll work and details that their hearts desired. Neoclassical A big help in identifying old rocking chairs is to look at the lines and the way the back is designed. This neoclassical, upholstered rocker is part of the Colonial Revival period from 1870-1920. It has some detail in the back as well as the spools on the legs. You can see some of the simple Arts and Crafts era influence in how the back of the chair is made. Classic Ladderback Rocker The classic ladderback rocker is what many people think of when they think of a country rocking chair. It is easy to recognize with its tall back and slat design. Bentwood Rocker The Bentwood Rocker was introduced in 1856 in Austria by Michael Thonet. There were many variations on this design but it was always made with steamed wood bent into a variety of swirls. Jenny Lind Children's Rocker Jenny Lind furniture was named after a popular Swedish opera singer in the late 1850s.
It is easy to identify by the turned spindles. It is often used for baby and children's furniture. Mission Style Rocking Chair The Mission style is simple, squared off , and squat. It has the feel of solidity and a beauty all its own. Eames Era Rocking Chair Finally, the Eames Era (1950s-1960s) brought a contemporary look to all furniture, including rocking chairs. The chairs were designed to comfortably support the body. They are usually made of molded plastic and have very modern looking forms. It does take some skill to identify these old rocking chairs but by looking at as many as possible, asking questions, and learning about the designs you can be an expert in no time.Bolingbrook Rocking Patio Chair Set your store to see localavailability Bradley Black Slat Patio Rocking Chair Glossy White Wood Outdoor Rocking Chair Spring Haven Brown Wicker Patio Rocking Chair with Cushion Insert (Slipcovers Sold Separately) Yacht Club Rainforest Canopy Patio Rocker
Amberlog Patio Rocking Chair Bradley White Slat Patio Rocking Chair Lemon Grove Wicker Outdoor Rocking Chair with Surplus Cushions Spring Haven Brown All-Weather Wicker Patio Rocking Chair with Sky Blue Cushion Black Wood Outdoor Rocking Chair Spring Haven Grey Wicker Patio Rocking Chair with Cushion Insert (Slipcovers Sold Separately) Lemon Grove Custom Wicker Outdoor Rocking Chair Flag Collection Kids Rocking Chair Youth Slat White Patio Rocking Chair Kids Green Rocking Chair White Children's Patio Rocker Jefferson Black Patio Rocker Classics Mahogany Patio Rocker Church Wood Patio Rocking Chair Jefferson White Woven Patio Rocker with White Loom Weave Presidential Mahogany Patio Rocker Rochester Rocking Patio Chair with Cushion Char-Log Double Patio Rocking Chair Set your store to see localavailabilityWicker is a general term for woven furniture and accents, not a specific material. The term is used broadly for any item woven from synthetic to natural hard fibers such as rattan, bamboo, seagrass and more.
The primary material used to create wicker is rattan “vine,” which is actually a name for more than 600 prolicic climbing plants. Some species can grow more than 300 feet in length—making rattan an abundant, sustainable resource. The production of wicker furniture often utilizes material from the entire plant: Peel, core, pole and all. When rattan’s outer skin or peel is removed and cut into thin strips, the resulting material is called cane. Rattan cane is used for weaving chair seats or wrapping joints on wicker furniture and is produced in many different gauges, ranging from carriage fine to the largest slab rattan. It has a natural glossy finish and does not accept stain or paint well, but is considered most beautiful in its natural state. Rattan cane packed in wet clay and allowed to season is known as Kubu or Kubu gray, due to its soft ashen color. Kubu rattan is exceptionally strong and is prized by furniture-lovers for its distinctive dusky shade. Reed is the thin, flexible material inside the rattan core.
Most often used for basket weaving, it may also function as an ornamental element in wicker furniture. Unlike cane, it has no natural finish and readily accepts paint or stain. Bamboo resembles rattan and is often mistaken for it. But unlike rattan, which is solid, bamboo has a hollow core. Bamboo also has distinguishing ridges where the leaves were attached, while rattan’s leaf nodes are not as pronounced. Made popular in 19th century England, willow or twig furniture is still crafted today, although the supple branches are now most often used in basketry. Willow can be soaked for flexibility and woven or bent to form graceful, rounded shapes. The term seagrass is used for a variety of flowering plants, such as water hyacinth, that grow in shallow coastal waters. Seagrasses are not related to seaweed but are more closely akin to the lily. Leaves are generally long and narrow, resembling terrestrial grasses. Banana leaf furniture is made from natural banana fibers that are dried, twisted and braided into a rope.