Louis XIII Stools
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.
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Muslin, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XIII Stools
Fabric, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XIII Stools
Oak
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Bouclé, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Metal
1880s French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Beech
1950s French Vintage Louis XIII Stools
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Stools
Leather, Walnut
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Bouclé, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Spanish Louis XIII Stools
Brass
17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIII Stools
Leather, Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Tapestry, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XIII Stools
Brass
Early 20th Century European Louis XIII Stools
Leather, Walnut
19th Century Belgian Antique Louis XIII Stools
Fruitwood, Fabric
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Tapestry, Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Louis XIII Stools
Leather, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XIII Stools
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Louis XIII Stools
Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Louis XIII Stools
Wicker, Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary French Louis XIII Stools
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XIII Stools
Wood
2010s Brazilian Louis XIII Stools
Textile, Upholstery, Hardwood
1950s French Vintage Louis XIII Stools
Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Louis XIII Stools
Steel
1880s French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Beech
Late 19th Century European Antique Louis XIII Stools
Rattan, Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Tapestry, Wood, Giltwood
Late 20th Century Italian Louis XIII Stools
Steel
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Louis XIII Stools
Leather, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Walnut, Wood, Upholstery
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Velvet, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Oak, Leather
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Leather, Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Stools
Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Chestnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XIII Stools
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Fabric, Walnut
20th Century American Louis XIII Stools
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Stools
Velvet, Oak