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.
Antique French Console Sofa Table Carved Oak Barley Twist Desk Renaissance c1890
Located in Shreveport, LA
Antique French Console Sofa Table Carved Oak Barley Twist Desk Renaissance c1890. Direct from France, a highly carved antique French sofa table or writing desk, versatile for so man...
Oak
Antique English Sofa Side Table Barley Twist Ebonized Library Desk Carved Oak
Located in Shreveport, LA
Antique English Sofa Side Table Barley Twist Ebonized Library Desk Carved Oak. Direct from Europe, a beautiful antique English sofa table o...
Oak
$3,360Sale Price|20% Off
H 29.5 in W 39 in D 23.5 in
French Louis XIII Style Oak Barley Twist Library Table Desk
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Fine 19th century French carved oak library table, or writing table desk made in the grand Louis XIII taste. Features thick barley twist legs conjoined on the bottom with barley twis...
Oak
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
$1,699
H 29 in W 35 in D 25 in
Antique English Console Table Writing Desk Jacobean Barley Twist Carved Oak
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique English Console Table Writing Desk Jacobean Barley Twist Carved Oak c1890 . Direct from England, a distinguished antique English Jacobean revival console table or writing de...
Oak
Antique Dutch Oak Farm Table, Kitchen Table, Sofa Table
Located in Viterbo, VT
Table hand-crafted in the Netherlands in the late 1800s using oak and pegged construction. The table is hand-made and shows fantastic and precise craftsmanship. The top is made of ch...
Oak
Antique Barley Twist Side Table
Located in Nashville, TN
This English barley twist table is perfect for anyone looking to embrace traditional design but with a little added flair! This personality filled side table has rectangular top and ...
Wood
$2,700
H 45 in W 54 in D 23.5 in
Antique French Table Hall Entry Console Sofa Table Two Drawers Oak C. 1890s
Located in Tyler, TX
CHARMING Antique French Renaissance revival oak entry, hall table, sofa table or console with drawers ~~c. 1890s Charming table with two drawers and carved crown~~perfect for use ...
Oak
$3,840Sale Price|20% Off
H 29 in W 35.5 in D 20 in
19th Century French Oak Barley Twist Bureau Plat Desk
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Spectacular 19th century French bureau plat writing table or desk featuring barley twist legs and stretcher. Crafted from oak in the grand Louis XIII style fronted by a large 27 inch...
Oak
Antique English Barley Twist Side Table
Located in Nashville, TN
This English barley twist side table with scalloped top is perfect for any room that needs a unique antiquel piece in it. Its unique barley legs a...
Hardwood
Antique Chinese Console Table with Carved Figural Panels
Located in Bridgeport, CT
The console in old black paint, now worn. The frieze on front and sides set with elaborately carved figural panels in gilt with red backgrounds an...
Wood
Antique English Barley Twist Table
Located in Nashville, TN
Gorgeous antique English barley twist table! The table is made from oak and has a lovely dark finish and beautiful patina. The turned spiral legs a...
Wood
$1,394
H 28.75 in W 23.63 in D 16.15 in
Antique Italian Carved Wood Bobbin Barley Twist Legs Sewing Table Side Table
Located in Carimate, Como
Beautiful Italian sewing table ideal as side or end table, characterized by typical beveled edges top with the central drawer with round handles. The table is raised on four stunning...
Wood
1920s English Golden Oak Barley Twist Occasional Side Table
Located in Germantown, MD
Antique Edwardian Golden Oak Barley twist side table or occasional table. Good antique condition measuring 21.5" in width, 22" in depth an...
Oak
Sold
H 31.5 in W 76 in D 25.5 in
17th Century Spanish Carved Walnut Five-Leg Single Plank Top Console Table
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant antique fruitwood console was crafted in Spain, circa 1680. Hand carved on all four sides, the long sofa table stands on five thick turned legs ending with bun feet over...
Walnut
Sold
H 29.5 in W 41 in D 26 in
18th Century French Walnut Console Sofa Table Barley Twist Desk Louis XIII
Located in Shreveport, LA
18th Century French Walnut Console Sofa Table Carved Barley Twist Desk Louis XIII. Direct from France, an incredible antique Fre...
Walnut
Sold
H 28 in W 41.5 in D 25.5 in
18th Century French Walnut Side Sofa Table Barley Twist Desk Louis XIII
Located in Shreveport, LA
18th Century French Walnut Side Sofa Table Barley Twist Desk Louis XIII. Direct from France, this incredible 18th century French center table or writing desk. Fabulous, thick, hand ...
Walnut
Sold
H 33.25 in W 79.25 in D 26.25 in
18th Century French Louis XIII Carved Chestnut Console Sofa Table with Drawers
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant antique fruitwood console was crafted in the Pyrenees region of France, circa 1760. The long Catalan sofa table stands on four t...
Chestnut
Sold
H 29 in W 37 in D 22.5 in
19th century French Carved Oak Sofa Table Writing Desk Barley Twist Black Forest
Located in Shreveport, LA
19th century French carved oak sofa table writing desk barley twist black forest ~Direct from France~ ~Lovely antique French writing desk or ...
Oak
Pair of French Sofa Tables
Located in Stockbridge, GA
Pair of French sofa tables.
Chestnut
Sold
H 30.25 in W 35 in D 23 in
Antique French Table Barley Twist Carved Oak Center Hall Sofa Renaissance c1890
Located in Shreveport, LA
19th century French table barley twist carved oak center hall sofa renaissance ~Direct from France~ ~Ornately carved antique French “octagonal” table...
Oak
Sold
H 27.5 in W 41.5 in D 26.5 in
Antique French Oak Console Sofa Table Barley Twist Louis XIII Library Desk
Located in Shreveport, LA
19th century French oak office library desk sofa table barley twist Louis XIII ~Direct from France~ ~Lovely antique French writing desk, versatile f...
Oak
Sold
H 32.75 in W 45.75 in D 21.25 in
Italian, Liguria, Turned Walnut 3-Drawer Console Table, 17th-18th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
From the area in or surrounding Genova, Italy, having a rectangular top with molded edge above a conforming case housing three drawers with turned pulls, raised on spiral and spool t...
Walnut
Sold
H 33 in W 66 in D 19 in
French Louis XIII Style Hand Carved Walnut Three-Drawer Console Sofa Table
Located in Dallas, TX
Place this elegant console table behind a sofa or against a wall. Crafted after an original antique found in the Pyrenees of France, the elegant fruitwood sofa table sits on four tur...
Walnut
19th Century Spanish Colonial Carved Walnut Console Table with Drawers
Located in Dallas, TX
Place this elegant antique fruitwood console behind a sofa or against a wall; crafted in Spain, circa 1880, the long and narrow table stands ...
Walnut
19th Century French Carved Oak Sofa Table Writing Desk Barley Twist
Located in Shreveport, LA
19th century French carved oak sofa table writing desk barley twist Louis XIII style ~ Direct from France ~ Beautiful French writing desk or ...
Oak