Antique Louis XIII furniture is not as lavish as that of his son Louis XIV, who transformed his father’s modest Versailles hunting lodge into a sumptuous palace. Yet the imposing forms of its chairs, dressers, tables and other pieces express grandeur and luxury.
When Henry IV was assassinated in the streets of Paris in 1610, his young son became the king of France. With Louis XIII too young to rule, the widowed Marie de' Medici — a native of Italy and member of the prominent House of Medici — became regent, instilling an Italian influence in the decorative arts. Even after Louis XIII exiled his mother and took power in 1617, this aesthetic informed his court style. As did the consolidation of power, established with his chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu, through his death in 1643.
From sturdy chests and tall cupboards to colossal four-poster beds, almost every piece of Louis XIII furniture was heavily carved or turned from dark-toned wood. Motifs of the period included scrollwork, foliage, fruits, grotesque masks and other images of abundance, often inlaid in marquetry of wood or tortoiseshell. Ornamental scenes, sometimes carved on cabinet panels and other pieces from rare ebony, oak or walnut, were borrowed from engravings by northern European masters like Peter Paul Rubens. Engravings also spread the Louis XIII style during the 17th century, particularly by printmaker Abraham Bosse, who depicted the popular Louis XIII chairs designed with upholstered seats and low, wide backs.
The lofty profiles of the French furniture complemented the architecture under the reign of Louis XIII, such as the Palais du Luxembourg by chief architect Salomon de Brosse and architect Jacques Lemercier’s chapel at the Sorbonne, which showcased the influence of Italian Baroque.
Find a collection of antique Louis XIII armchairs, storage cabinets, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.
19th Century French Henri II Carved Oak Console Table Server
Located in Dallas, TX
Dress a hallway, library, or living space with this elegant antique console table. Crafted in France circa 1870 and measuring nearly five feet in length, the tall, narrow server is b...
Oak
$1,696Sale Price|37% Off
Baluster Console or Serving Table Marble Top Louis XIII St, French, Late 19th C
Located in Labrit, Landes
Serving table with baluster and marble top, French, late 19th century Two drawers Perfect of a restaurant, all king of shop as a display case. Shipping: 50.5 / 121 / 120.5 cm ...
Marble, Metal
19th Century English Carved Oak Console Table
Located in High Point, NC
19th century English oak console table with exquisite carving. The table is signed Edwards and Roberts Wardour St London. Edwards and Roberts were one of the premier English furnitur...
Oak
French 19th Century Oak Console Table
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A handsome 19th century French oak server-console table with a single drawer and shelf below for storage. Adaptable to a multitude of uses and rooms throughout the home, the top and ...
Steel
19th Century Carved Oak Console Table
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak console table from England with a wonderfully detailed hand carved backsplash over the top of the table, which has a beveled and car...
Oak
Italian Console Table with Marble Top
Located in Woodbury, CT
This handsome neoclassical table in cream paint and parcel-gilt has a fluted apron with foliate carvings while the rose marble top has a cream marble beaded edge. Perfectly sized for...
Marble
$69,889
H 31.11 in W 44.89 in D 29.53 in
Rare German Rococo 18th Century Period Console Table with Marble Top
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
A very unusual and superb Rococo console table from the mid-18th century. On four carved legs with an X-shaped stretcher, overall with scrolls and dolphin-like sea creatures. This ex...
Marble
Italian Style Serving/Console Table
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Custom built Italian style three-drawer serving/console table. Reference: 5518 Dimensions 72.5 inches (184 cms) wide 17 inches (43 cms) deep 33 inches (84 cms) high.
Pine
19th Century French Carved Wooden Console Table
Located in High Point, NC
This 19th Century French carved wooden console table exemplifies refined craftsmanship and architectural presence. Constructed from richly toned wood, the table features an elongated...
Wood
18th Century English Oak Console or Serving Table
Located in High Point, NC
18th century oak console table from England. The top has a beveled edge, following down to a hand carved apron with nulling decoration over h...
Oak
Bronze Console with Brown or Black Leather Top
By Alberto and Diego Giacometti
Located in Ballard, CA
The hand-sculpted bronze console is a hand forged and handcrafted edition with leather top or glass or stone , fastened by bronze sculpted nails; each piece is numbered and stamped. ...
Bronze
$34,850Sale Price|22% Off
H 42 in W 82 in D 25 in
Palatial Italian 18th Century Rococo Style Giltwood Carved Console Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very fine and palatial Italian 18th century Rococo style giltwood carved console table with a castracane marble top of serpentine outline, the friez...
Marble
$2,250
H 37.75 in W 39.5 in D 16 in
Russian Neoclassical Style Console/Server or Commode with Marble Top
Located in Manhasset, NY
Russian neoclassical style console with inverted sides and marble top. This fine Maison Jansen inspired console table or serving tab...
Mahogany
$7,107Sale Price|32% Off
H 32.68 in W 34.65 in D 17.33 in
Very Decorative Early 19th Century Gustavian Swedish Console Table with Lyre
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
An elegant Gustavian giltwood console table from the early 19th century. The console with inset white marbleized wooden top above a lyre-shaped support and white and faux porphyry pa...
Wood
Sold
H 38 in W 47 in D 17.25 in
19th Century French Henri II White Marble Top Carved Oak Desserte Console
Located in Dallas, TX
Crafted in France circa 1870, and built of oak wood, the antique console stands on barley twist legs embellished with floral rosette medallions at the shoulders, and ending with bun feet over a decorative plinth...
Marble
Rustic French 17th Century Coffer Blanket Chest
Located in Sheffield, MA
Wonderfully rustic Provincial chest with 4 recessed panels and original hardware, aged patina and character. Its 20" narrow or shallow depth lends itself to be used as a sideboard se...
Wood
Sold
H 34 in W 52 in D 19 in
Italian, Lombardia, Turned Walnut and Veneered Console Table, Early 18th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
having a scantonata shaped top with back and corner notches with a carved apron, the expertly turned legs are unique in their tapering, the legs joined by an interesting x-form and h...
Walnut
19th Century French Louis XIII Hand-Carved Dessert Buffet
Located in Fayetteville, AR
This unusual dessert buffet features finely carved details of grapevine, acanthus leaves and a central lion's head handle. The backs of its two shelves are finished with elegantly ca...
Oak
Sold
H 29.5 in W 45.25 in D 23.5 in
French Louis XIII Style 1880s Table with Two Drawers and Barley Twist Base
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Louis XIII style side table with two carved drawers and barley twist legs from the late 19th century. This exquisite French table features a rectangular planked top with out...
Wood