Louis XIII Introduces its First “Art de la Table” Collections

For more than 150 years, Louis XIII has held court at some of the world’s finest tables—from sea to sky. Named after the 17th-century French king—the first to officially recognize cognac as a category uniquely its own—lauded Louis XIII has been emblematic of French craftsmanship since its inception. (Its crystal fleurs-de-lis-embossed decanter, each numbered and individually hand-cut and blown, requires the work of 11 glass cutters and engravers.)

Louis XIII was poured in first class on the maiden voyage of historic liner “Normandie” and on the Concorde, served at a banquet in Versailles for Queen Elizabeth, and sipped onboard the Orient Express. “There’s a beauty in a brand that’s so strong and has such deep roots,” global executive director Anne-Laure Pressat tells Galerie. “We have the freedom to innovate and build a future, and the first step with tableware was natural for us—Louis XIII was already at the table.”

Complementing its range of accessories like hand-crafted crystal stemware, the debut Louis XIII Art de la Table collections—dubbed Light of Time and Soil is our Soul—are as rooted in artistry as the cognac’s terroir-focused blend of haute eaux-de-vie. Terroir, in fact, is what drove the brand to Limoges, France, where Louis XIII commissioned one of the region’s 10 most prestigious porcelain houses: J.L Coquet, considered among the whitest, most translucent, and most delicate porcelain in the world. 

“We didn’t want a white plate with a print—we wanted to work on a texture,” says Pressat, adding that the artisans at J.L Coquet developed 11 new techniques while designing the duo of collections. “It was a real challenge and we needed someone committed; this house has been around for 200 years and provides [plateware] for many Michelin-starred restaurants.”

Enlisting the skills of 40 artisans, each of the limited-edition collections’ six pieces (a complete set costs up to $4,000) takes three to four weeks to produce. Pieces in Louis XIII Light of Time are carved on both sides, which adds to their translucency while echoing the design of the Louis XIII glass, with hand-painted copper lining mimicking the shade of copper cognac stills. For Louis XIII Soil is our Soul, porcelain artists worked with 3D scans to capture and replicate the same punctuated, chalky stone texture found in the vines at Domaine du Grollet in Cognac.

Three hidden hoops on the back of the pieces pay tribute to the chestnut wood hoops on Louis XIII tierçons (traditional wooden barrels), while the laser-cut fleur-de-lis on the reverse is engraved using a technique designed specifically for this collection. Pressat refers to Louis XIII Art de la Table as quiet luxury; the tableware would feel right at home in an ultra-modern dining room as it would a classic château setting. The fil conducteur is in the tiniest of details and terroir—and Louis XIII hopes to continue to expand in and around the world of cognac. “Hermès started as a saddler and is now selling everything—including lipstick,” she adds. “I hope in 100 years we can follow the same path.”