Rocking Chair

Furniture made of reeds or other pliable material has a very long history going back to Egyptian times. In the mid-nineteenth century, reed furniture began to be made in factories and thus became available to a wide public. The forms ranged from planters to music stands to parlour suites. Examples made in the 1890s, like this rocking chair, are the most ornate, with curvaceous, sprawling designs incorporating whimsical elements, such as chains and flower buds.