Rosewood and Marble Table, Don Shoemaker
About the Item
- Creator:Don S. Shoemaker (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.5 in (74.93 cm)Width: 37 in (93.98 cm)Depth: 37 in (93.98 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. fine vintage condition with nice patina and use wear consistent with age. Minor scratches to stone and surrounding wood frame are visible.
- Seller Location:Atlanta, GA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU90451646992
Don S. Shoemaker
If it weren’t for his honeymoon, American furniture designer Don S. Shoemaker might not have played any role in Mexican modernism of the mid-20th century.
Born in Nebraska in 1919, Shoemaker studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago during the 1930s. In the 1940s he got married, and he and his wife, Barbara, ventured to Mexico for their honeymoon. Enamored with the country, Shoemaker decided that Mexico should become the newlyweds' permanent home. They settled in a town called Santa Maria de Guido in Michoacán, where Shoemaker spent his days painting and growing rare plants.
Through horticulture, Shoemaker became inspired by Mexico’s tropical woods, such as the cocobolo, a Mexican rosewood, and he decided to delve into furniture design. In the late 1950s, he started a small factory, producing hand-carved armchairs, dining room tables, decorative boxes and bowls, and serveware. The popularity of Shoemaker’s furnishings grew throughout Mexico, and his small factory became the Señal S.A. company, employing more than 100 skilled artisans and carpenters.
Shoemaker’s handcrafted designs were essentially a mid-century modern interpretation of traditional Mexican household furnishings, and like Clara Porset — an unsung Cuban-born activist, writer and designer who drew on Mexican craft traditions in her concepts for furniture — he found inspiration from his adopted country. These influences can be seen in iconic Shoemaker originals like the Sling collection of seating, the Suspension stool and several of his table designs.
Shoemaker's furniture was exhibited in showrooms in several major Mexican cities and across the U.S., including Houston, Chicago, and Los Angeles (and mid-century modernist ideas that traveled between Mexico and California didn’t make one-way trips — they bounced back and forth).
After Shoemaker died in 1990, his son George took over Señal S.A. The company closed after George’s death in the early 2000s.
Shoemaker’s Mexican modern furnishings continue to be coveted by avid furniture collectors around the world. From 2016 to 2017, the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City dedicated a retrospective exhibition to honoring his work.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Don S. Shoemaker desks, seating, decorative objects and serveware.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Atlanta, GA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Two Rosewood Nesting Tables, Don ShoemakerBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Atlanta, GAA set of two nesting tables made by Don Shoemaker for Señal, Mexico, circa 1960s. Heavy cubist construction with minimalist form and exposed dove joins and point joints. The surface...Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking Tables
MaterialsCocobolo
- Rosewood Lounge Chair and Ottoman Don ShoemakerBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Atlanta, GACrafted in beautiful rosewood, the lounge chair and ottoman was an iconic design by Don Shoemaker for Senal. The chair with a rocking seat and the folding ottoman...Category
Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Rosewood and leather lounge Chair and Ottoman Don ShoemakerBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Atlanta, GACrafted in beautiful rosewood, the lounge chair and ottoman was an iconic design by Don Shoemaker for Senal. The chair with a rocking seat and the folding ottoman...Category
Vintage 1970s Mexican Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Rare Solid Mexican Cocobolo Wood Desk Don ShoemakerBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Atlanta, GAA bespoken and rare desk by celebrated Mexican designer and woodworker Don Shoemaker, model no F46. Designed in 1970s and executed in 1981, the desk is constructed with patchwork of ...Category
Vintage 1980s Mexican Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsCocobolo
- Large Exotic Mixed Wood Tray by Don ShoemakerBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Atlanta, GAA large rectangular wood tray designed by Don Shoemaker and handcrafted by SEN~AL, S.A. Mexico circa 1950. Using exotic local wood in Mexico such...Category
Vintage 1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
MaterialsWood
- Rare Brass and Chrome Table by John VeseyBy John VeseyLocated in Atlanta, GAA large table designed by John Vesey. A relatively rare large scale version of model no V-43, the table featured his iconic use of chromed steel contrasting the ornamentation of bras...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsBrass, Chrome
- Cocobolo Rosewood Dining Table by Don S. Shoemaker for Señal S.A. of MexicoBy Senal, Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Chattanooga, TNWanna be a bond villain in real life? Well here's your chance. Certain pieces just command respect and deserve appreciation for their flawless design. "WTF?" is typically the first thing uttered when people see this on our showroom floor. A literal jaw-droppper, regardless of whether installing as a dining table, desk or conference table. Lovingly restored by our in-house cabinet shop, this cocobolo wood table by Don S. Shoemaker is a rare find. Geometry and brutalism intertwine to form an architectural masterpiece of function and form. Staved slats of offset cocobolo form a brilliant patchwork that covers every visible inch of both the top and bottom sections. The grain and color tones vary in each slat to create a stunning visual contrast throughout. The pedestal and top separate easily without any screws or bolts. The table top has a grid-work of rails underneath that sink into corresponding notches on the base. The base is brilliantly assembled with a hollow interior to keep the weight to a minimum. This massive construction is surprisingly totable, without compromising rigidity or stability. Although we're uncertain on the production quantity, the total number is probably quite minuscule. Tagged with its original label and numbered #6 in several locations. About the designer: Furniture designer Don Shoemaker was born in Nebraska to an affluent family. During the 1930s, he studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. In the late 1940s, he married and subsequently, on his honeymoon, fell in love with Mexico. He loved the country so much that later in the 1940s, he moved to Mexico with his wife. Shoemaker lived and painted in a town called Santa Maria de Guido, overseeing the City of Morelia in Michoacán. Don and his wife Barbara lived in harmony with nature, growing many rare plants in their greenhouse. Don became inspired by the tropical woods of Mexico and began to manufacture furniture from these precious timbers. What began as a small factory in the late 1950s became known as Señal S.A and grew to where Don employed more than a hundred skilled artisans. Soon he became an important figure in the economic and cultural life of his adopted town. Señal S.A brought new wealth and an economic boost to the town, and Dom was known for his warm and charitable heart. The furniture designed for Señal S.A by Don were modern interpretations of traditional Mexican furnishings. Many of his iconic designs were inspired by traditional Mexican woodwork. The pieces made from Cocobolo, a Mexican rosewood, and other precious woods were highly sought after. The furniture was exported to showrooms in Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and large Mexican cities. His designs were liked very much by wealthy Mexican families...Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsRosewood, Cocobolo
- Bleached Rosewood Games TableLocated in New York, NYBleached rosewood circular table with ebonized wood legs may be used as dining table or games table. USA, c. 1960's.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWood, Rosewood
- Squares Table in Contemporary Oxidized Steel and Emerald Green MarbleBy Kin & CompanyLocated in Brooklyn, NYThe squares provokes a sense of elements in opposition—heavy yet floating, bright red oxide contrasting the deep green marble veins—all brought into harmony through the simple, repea...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsMarble, Steel
- Julia Marble Table, Royal StrangerBy Royal StrangerLocated in Geneve, CHJulia marble table, royal stranger Dimensions: width 75cm, height 105 cm, depth 75 cm Inspired by the femininity and using bold and vibrant color schemes, this collection is m...Category
2010s Portuguese Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsMarble, Brass
- Forma S.A. Game Table in Rosewood by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, c. 1955By Carlo Hauner, Forma Brazil, Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Martin EislerLocated in New York, NYThis game table was produced by the Brazilian Forma S.A. Móveis e Objetos de Arte in the 1950s. The piece is made of a Rosewood structure and the top can be used on both sides: one i...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsFabric, Rosewood
- Danish nest of solid rosewood tables c1960Located in London, GBDanish furniture maker: Three nest of tables in solid rosewood. Large table H. 53. L. 87. W. 38 cm. The other tables H. 49. L. 40. W. 38 cm. (3)Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsRosewood
