the rocking chair origin ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................

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rocking chairs history


.............................. origin ....................... precursors .................... modern (1) ..................... modern (2) .................. contemporary ............. newcomers



the rocking chair origin
( history of rocking chairs, 1 of 6 )
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references to paintings and prints depicting the rocking motion
first appearence of rocking furniture
first rocking chairs

we all know that the rocking chair is a distinctly american passion, its origins, however, are less clear.
adding skates or rockers to the bottom of chairs probably evolved from the cradle and the rocking horse, which both
predate the rocking chair. apparently no one thought to apply the idea to furniture for adults until the eighteenth century.
the word 'rocker' originated in the 15th century and indicated the person responsible for rocking the cradle.
in the 18th century it also meant an orator who put others to sleep.
anyway, it was not until 1787 that the earliest dated citation ' ROCKING CHAIR' appeared in the oxford english
dictionary for usage.

rebis on rocking half-moon detail from
'viatorum spagyricum' , woodcut by h. hamsthaler
germany, 1625
 ALCHEMIC ICONOGRAPHY

one of the first illustrations of the rocking motion
can be found in a current symbol in alchemy:
the rebis - the 're-born' or hermaphrodite - is
standing on a half-moon.

(the king and queen, the two are one.
the rebis is cursed to forever roam the shores of the lake,
but is known to have knowledge of things well beyond its
domain. alchemy is the 'maternal darkness' and compensates
for christianity's 'paternal light' and the goal is to
become holy oneself, light and dark made one).

cradle, detail by piero della francesca
italian early renaissance painter (1415?-1492)		 CRADLE
ca. 1500, europe

european rocking cradles made of hollowed-out logs date
back through middle ages.

cradle, detail by andrea mantegna
italian early renaissance painter (1431-1506)
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victorian rocking horse		 ROCKING HORSE
ca. 1700, europe

the first rocking horses were probably made in germany,
although many hail from the victorian era.

yorkshire rocking chair		 THE CONVERTED ROCKING CHAIR
ca. 1710, england

In the early 18th century, skates were sometimes applied to
existing chairs, converting them to rockers.
for example this yorkshire chair dates back to 1630,
but only 80 years later (ca.1710) curved blades were mounted on
the legs.

adult-size cradles in the shaker infirmary,
massachusetts		 ADULT-SIZED CRADLES
1810, usa

cradles for gently rocking weak or aged invalids.
a ceremony of the circle of life - from birth, to death.
the movement probably helped to prevent bedsores.
manufacturered by the religious shaker communities.


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.............................. origin ....................... precursors .................... modern (1) ..................... modern (2) .................. contemporary ............. newcomers




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see more on rocking chairs


on their rockeres.......off their rockers ......other rockers



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this major study, curated by designboom in 2001
will provide all those interested in 'furniture' with information on the chronological evolution of rocking chairs.