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 C. French Henri II Walnut Desserte Console with Lift-Top Marble Interior
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant antique Henri II desserte console was crafted in France circa 1870 and showcases the rich architectural detailing and practical design characteristic of the period. Cons...
Marble
$1,675Sale 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 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
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
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
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
French 19th Century Oak One-drawer Server
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This modest console table, or server, is hand-crafted of solid oak dating to circa 1870 France. The planks of the top exhibit a natural glow within the convoluted grain, having devel...
Oak
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
$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
$2,664Sale Price|44% Off
H 30.5 in W 42 in D 19 in
19th Century Italian Carrara Marble and Iron Console from Lucca – Indoor/Outdoor
Located in IT
This 19th-century Italian Carrara marble and iron console, from Lucca, Italy, is a stunning piece of antique craftsmanship. The iron frame, with a touch of rust from outdoor use, com...
Marble, Iron
19th Century American Butcher's Table
Located in Chicago, IL
A 19th century American maple butcher's table with a beautiful well-worn finish only 100+ years of use can bestow. The table is perfect as a console table under a painting, in your e...
Maple
$4,993
H 30.32 in W 51.19 in D 27.56 in
Antique 19th French Louis XIII Renaissance Oak Sculpted Table Console Desk
Located in Senonches, Centre-Val de Loire
Antique Louis XIII carved table in renaissance style, in oak, of perfect dimensions to be a center table, a desk, or a console table, with its belt is admirably worked on all four si...
Oak
$8,625Sale Price|25% Off
H 31.5 in W 53 in D 22 in
18th Century English Chinese Chippendale Console Table
Located in Savannah, GA
Classic English Chinese Chippendale mahogany side table with molded top. The banded apron frieze is decorated with chinoiserie fretwork and the upper legs feature pierced corner brac...
Mahogany
19th Century English Oak Carved Console
Located in High Point, NC
19th century English oak small potbound/console table with lovely hand carved decoration. The top of this piece is made from two boards, which are pegged and has a beveled edge. Th...
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
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
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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