Cuerno Table by Don Shoemaker for Senal SA, Mexico, 1960s
View Similar Items
Cuerno Table by Don Shoemaker for Senal SA, Mexico, 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:Don S. Shoemaker (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 15.5 in (39.37 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 24 in (60.96 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Cocobolo
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. In excellent vintage condition.
- Seller Location:Sylacauga, AL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2159315364522
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 cocobolo, a Mexican rosewood, and he decided to delve into furniture design. In the late 1950s, he started a small factory, producing hand-carved desks, 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 in 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.
- 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
$20,213 Sale Price24% Off - 1970s Custom-Made Exotic Wood Side Table Style of Don Shoemaker MexicoBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Chula Vista, CA1970s Custom-made Exotic Wood Side Table Style of Don Shoemaker Mexico Single hand-crafted side table in exotic wood 17.25 x 16.5 d x 16.25 Original preowned vintage condition Se...Category
Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWood
- Don Shoemaker Sculpted Rosewood & Leather Coffee Table for Señal FurnitureBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Los Angeles, CATransforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precision. With over 17 years of artisanal exper...Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood, Cocobolo
- Mexican Modern, Rectangular coffee table, 1960's Don S. ShoemakerBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Uccle, BELabel: Señal S.A.Hecho en Mexico. Cocobolo wood and black leather mid-century modern coffee table from the sixties. The leather has a beautiful sensual feel and is in excellent cond...Category
20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsLeather, Cocobolo
- Don Shoemaker Senal S.A. Cocobolo Rosewood Parquetry Table, Mid CenturyBy Senal, Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Vienna, ATRare parquetry rosewood table in wonderful condition, Don Shoemaker 1960 We also have a rare sofa available from Don Shoemaker. A sculptural masterpiece by Don Shoemaker. We have this table in our collection at the moment together with a matching sofa...Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Sofa Tables
MaterialsRosewood
- Rare Corner Table by Mexican Mid-Century Modernist Don ShoemakerBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Mexico City, CDMXWe offer this rare an amazing corner table designed by Don Shoemaker, circa 1960, this piece is very rare and hard to find, a perfect piece for the Don Shoemaker collectors, includes...Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
MaterialsWood
