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.
Mid Century Louis VIII Vanity, Flip Lid Mirror with Marquetry and Bronze Mounts
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous French vanity with a flip lid top which opens to reveal a divided tray atop a drawer. Great craftsmanship in the Marquetry with cross banding. Br...
Bronze
Antique 19th Century Small Vanity Desk, Work Table, Louis XIII style in walnut
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Pretty small Louis XIII dressing table or dressing table in walnut with the top all hand engraved with art nouveau motifs of the period. Also excellent as an entrance console. It ha...
Walnut
French Louis XV Style Vanity or Poudreuse, 19th Century
Located in Belmont, MA
This gorgeous Louis XV style vanity or "poudreuse" dates back to the mid 19th century and comes from France. The woman's dressing table has a very pretty walnut veneer pattern. The m...
Walnut
$2,900 / set
H 48 in W 27.5 in D 18.25 in
Vintage Mid Century Art Deco Vanity or Desk with Mirror in Pine
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A funky art deco vanity with mirror. Solid pine with period deco hardware. Mirror has some small dark spot from age. All in all very good condition. Price includes both vanity & mirr...
Mirror, Pine
French 19th Century Louis XIII Style Walnut Table
Located in Atlanta, GA
Produced in France during the nineteenth century, this walnut table is worked in the Louis XIII style, a revival of the heavier seventeenth-century manner that remained in steady use...
Wood, Walnut
$2,876 / set
H 31.5 in W 31.5 in D 15.36 in
Mid-Century Vanity In With Brass Details And Side-Panel Mirrors
Located in Roma, RM
Chair + Mid-Century Vanity In Wood, Bamboo, And Vienna Straw With Brass Details And Side-Panel Mirrors Product Details Vanity Dimensions: 80 W x 80 / 150 H x 39 D cm Chair Dimensions...
Brass
$3,995
H 52.5 in W 50.75 in D 26.25 in
Louis XV Style Vanity with Bronze Mirror & Frame Manner Maison Forest
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Elevate your interior with this stunning Louis XV style vanity, featuring an ornate bronze-mounted mirror and frame, crafted in the refined manner of Maison Forest, the renowned Pari...
Bronze
$3,600
H 62 in W 41 in D 20 in
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Style Triple Mirror Vanity w/ Bronze Mounts.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elegant French Louis XVI style vanity dating to the early-20th century, circa 1920s. This refined dressing table features a beautifully shaped case in richly figured wood veneer with...
Bronze
$2,125 / set
H 67 in W 46 in D 18.5 in
American Art Deco Mirrored Marquetry Inlaid Walnut Vanity and Chair
Located in Astoria, NY
American Art Deco Mirrored Marquetry Inlaid Walnut Vanity and Chair, the dressing table with two rows of three drawers flanking a central circular mirror. Vanity: 67" H x 46" W x 18...
Mirror, Walnut
18th century Louis XVI Dressing Table
Located in Belmont, MA
Louis XVI dressing table, France 1780. For the beautiful marquetry, the maker combined two types of veneer: Walnut and kingwood. The dressing...
Kingwood, Walnut
$6,500
H 54.5 in W 35 in D 18 in
Antique French Louis XV Vanity Table with Gilt Bronze Mounts/Porcelain Cameos
Located in Houston, TX
Exceptional French vanity table with gilt bronze mounts and inlaid porcelain plates in the Sevres style having a ground of celeste blue. Painted w...
Walnut
$18,000
H 41.75 in W 29.5 in D 15.75 in
Wall-mounted Vanity Console with Mirror by Gio Ponti, Italy, 1930s
By Gio Ponti
Located in New York, NY
Wall-mounted console featuring a tilting oval mirror and two shelves with gracefully curved outlines. The shelf edges and wall mounting are executed in chromed metal. The upper shelf...
Chrome
Mid-Century John Stuart Mirrored Vanity Desk with Bench
By John Stuart
Located in Forney, TX
A rare Mid-Century Modern painted white mirrored vanity desk and bench by legendary American luxury designer John Stuart. Circa 1950 The sensational John Stuart designed demilune ...
Leather, Wood
$2,960
H 28.35 in W 23.23 in D 16.15 in
19th Century French Ebonized Vanity Table with Gilt Bronze Mounts
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
Refined 19th-century French vanity table in ebonized walnut, adorned with fine gilt bronze mounts in the Napoleon III style. The deep black finish, achieved through the ebonizing of ...
Bronze
Mid Century Danish Vanity/Desk with Flip-Top Mirror and Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
Mid Century Danish Teak Vanity with Flip-Top Mirror and Storage with Matching Stool Beautifully designed in classic Mid-Century Danish modern style, this teak vanity features clean ...
Teak
Chinese Beveled Leg Incense Table, Late 19th Century
Located in Chicago, IL
This shallow console table from the late 19th century was originally used as an offering table for burning incense or as the dressing table in a ...
Elm
$2,234
H 55.12 in W 35.44 in D 17.33 in
Bamboo and Rattan Vanity / Dressing Table with Drawer and Mirror, 1970's Mid-cen
Located in Cork, IE
With an arched bamboo frame and rounded corners this vanity table is a great example of organic modernism often found in European furniture designs from the 1970's. Well crafted and...
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Sold
H 55.91 in W 41.54 in D 16.54 in
ANTIQUE FRENCH EMPIRE HAND PAINTED 19TH CENTURY DRESSING TABLE + TRi FOLD MIRROR
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this absolutely stunning original hand painted French Country dressing table which is part of a small suite Circa 1890-1910 I hav...
Mirror, Oak