Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
American, 1919-1990
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 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.
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Creator: Don S. Shoemaker
Don Shoemaker Decorative Tray for Señal
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Serving tray by Don Shoemaker for Senal of Mexico. The tray has a dark rosewood frame with integrated handles at either end, and the tray surface is inlaid with precious wood veneer ...
Category
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Rosewood
Don Shoemaker Geometric Marquetry Decorative Tray for Señal
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A rosewood serving tray by Don Shoemaker for his company Señal in the 1960s. The surface of the tray has a repeating geometric linear marquetry pattern in a gradient of local Mexican...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Rosewood
Don Shoemaker Serving Tray
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon
Born in Nebraska, Don S. Shoemaker studied painting at The Fine Arts Institution of Chicago. In the late 1940s, he moved to Mexico with his family and settled in Santa Maria de Guido...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Wood
Don Shoemaker Geometric Marquetry Decorative Tray for Señal
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A rosewood serving tray by Don Shoemaker for his company Señal in the 1960s. The surface of the tray has a repeating geometric marquetry pattern in a gradient of local Mexican hardwo...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Rosewood
Don Shoemaker Geometric Marquetry Decorative Tray for Señal
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A rosewood serving tray by Don Shoemaker for his company Señal in the 1960s. The surface of the tray has a repeating geometric marquetry pattern in a gradient of local Mexican hardwo...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Rosewood
Don Shoemaker Wood Inlaid Chevron Pattern Cutting Board for Señal
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cutting board by Don Shoemaker for his company Señal in the 1960s. The surface of the board has a repeating chevron marquetry pattern in a gradient of local Mexican hardwoods that ca...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Rosewood, Cocobolo
Don Shoemaker for Señal Geometric Marquetry Tray with Stand
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Serving tray and stand by Don Shoemaker for Senal of Mexico. The tray has a dark rosewood frame with integrated handles at either end, and the tray surface is inlaid with precious wo...
Category
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Rosewood
Don Shoemaker for Señal Diamond Geometric Marquetry Tray
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Serving tray by Don Shoemaker for Senal of Mexico. The tray has a dark rosewood frame with integrated handles at either end, and the tray surfa...
Category
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Rosewood
Mexican Modern Don Shoemaker Wood Trays
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in San Diego, CA
Set of four serving trays or plates by Mexican Modernist Don Shoemaker, from his workshop in Señal Mexico.
Designer Don Shoemaker ( was born in Nebraska and studied at the Art Inst...
Category
1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Wood
Mexican Modern Don Shoemaker Inlaid Wall Mount Bar Tray
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in San Diego, CA
Tray by Mexican Modernist Don Shoemaker, from his workshop in Señal Mexico. Beautiful geometric inlaid marquetry of mixed exotic woods. Can be mounted on the wall.
Designer Don Sho...
Category
1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Wood
Don Shoemaker for Señal Marquetry Paper Tray
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cocobolo paper tray with geometric pattern by Don Shoemaker for his company Señal, c.1960s, Mexico. Shoemaker is known for the marquetry in his work, which is clearly visible in the ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Hardwood, Cocobolo, Rosewood
1970s Don Shoemaker Service Tray Exotic Wood Señal Mexico
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1970s Designed by Don Shoemaker produced by Señal Mexico
Midcentury Service Tray wall decor in exotic woods
Cut out handle for easy carry.
21.75 long 8.25 w x 1.75 h
More trays are a...
Category
Late 20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Wood
Set of 6 Coasters
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Mexico City, MX
Made with amazing tropical woods in Michoacán Mexico by Iconic woodmaster and designer Don Shoemaker.
Very practical and refined.
Coming from an affluent family, Don was originally from Nebraska. During the 1930s he studied at the Fine Arts Institute of Chicago thinking to become a painter. Visiting Mexico for his honeymoon he fell in love with the country and he finally decided to move to Mexico in the late 1940s. He lived for a while and painted in San Miguel Allende, Guanajuato, but finally he settled down in a little uphill town called Santa María de Guido, overseeing the city of Morelia, in the state of Michoacán, Mexico.
Don began the manufacture of his furniture in tropical precious woods and other wood products. What started as a little factory in the late 1950s called SEÑAL, S.A., grew to the point where Don employed more than a hundred skilled craftsmen. Soon Shoemaker became an important milestone of the economic and cultural life of his adopted home. SEÑAL, S.A. brought great wealth and economical boost to the village and Don was well known for his good heart and charity projects.
Don S. Shoemaker delivered furniture pieces in to his showrooms in Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston and large cities in Mexico. His designs were very much appreciated by wealthy Mexican families...
Category
1980s Mexican Organic Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Hardwood
Don Shoemaker Interlocking Salt and Pepper Sets for Senal
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in McKinney, TX
Exquisitely crafted interlocking salt and pepper sets designed by Don Shoemaker for Sen~al of Mexico. Taking advantage of the expertise provided by Mexican artisans, Shoemaker founde...
Category
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Rosewood
Don Shoemaker Interlocking Salt and Pepper Sets for Senal
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in McKinney, TX
Exquisitely crafted interlocking salt and pepper sets designed by Don Shoemaker for Sen~al of Mexico. Taking advantage of the expertise provided by Mexican artisans, Shoemaker founde...
Category
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Rosewood
Don S. Shoemaker Multi-Wood Decorative Tray for Señal Furniture
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Transforming 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
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Wood, Mahogany, Rosewood
Expertly Restored - Don S. Shoemaker Rosewood Oval Tray for Señal Furniture
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Transforming 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
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Wood
Don Shoemaker for Señal Large Decorative Tray with Chevron Stripe
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A rosewood serving tray with integrated handles by Don Shoemaker for his company Señal in the 1960s. The surface of the tray has a pixelated chevron-patterned parquet detail in exoti...
Category
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Wood, Rosewood, Cocobolo
1970s Mexico Bar Service Tray Exotic Wood Stripe by Don Shoemaker for Señal
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Chula Vista, CA
By Don Shoemaker produced by Señal in Mexico 1970s
Elegant midcentury Service Tray rich medley of exotic Woods
Cut out Handle design for easy carry
Measures: 12 D x 20.5 L x 1.5 H...
Category
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Wood, Cocobolo
Don Shoemaker Exotic Wood Tray
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Kalamazoo, MI
Eye-catching 1960s geometric design of tropical hardwoods designed by Don S. Shoemaker and made in Mexico by his company Senal, S.A. Practical and beautiful, this mid-century modern ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Hardwood
Don Shoemaker Large Serving Tray /Cutting Board Made with Different Woods
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Mexico City, MX
This is a Mexican wood tray, cutting board or serving platter made in 1960s in Michoacan, Mexico by Don Shoemaker.
It is in excelllent condition and...
Category
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Hardwood
1970s Mexico Bar Service Tray Exotic Wood Stripe by Don Shoemaker for Señal
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1970s Designed by Don Shoemaker and produced by Señal Mexico
Midcentury Service Tray medley of exotic woods
Cut out the handle for easy carry.
Tray 8.25 w x 21.75 long x 1.75 d
...
Category
Late 20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Wood
Don Shoemaker Mexican Modern Cutting Board or Server Tray
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in San Diego, CA
Unused mixed wood cutting board or serving tray by Mexican Modernist Don Shoemaker. Retains original labels from his workshop in Señal Mexico.
Category
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Wood
Pair of MCM Cocobolo Wood Minimalist Salt & Pepper Shakers by Don Shoemaker
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in San Diego, CA
A goegeous pair of MCM cocobolo wood minimalist interlocking salt & pepper hakers by Don Shoemaker, circa 1970s. The pair were made in Mexico and are in very good vintage condition m...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Cocobolo
1970s Don Shoemaker Service Tray Exotic Wood Stripe for Señal Mexico
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Service tray
By Designer Don Shoemaker produced by Senal in Mexico, 1970s
Marvelous midcentury service tray Medley of exotic woods
Cut out Handle design for easy carry
Measures: ...
Category
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Rosewood, Cocobolo
Mid Century Rosewood “Elephant” Salt & Pepper Shakers
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in San Diego, CA
Wear consistent with age and use. As a vintage item, light cosmetic wear might be present but with no structural damage. Wear consistent with age and use.
Category
1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Rosewood
Large Exotic Mixed Wood Tray by Don Shoemaker
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Atlanta, GA
A 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
1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Wood
Don Shoemaker Mexican Modern Cutting Board and Salt and Pepper Shakers
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in San Diego, CA
Cutting board or serving tray and mixed exotic woods salt and pepper shakers by Mexican Modernist Don Shoemaker. Retains original label from his w...
Category
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Wood
Early Vintage Rosewood Salt and Pepper Shaker Set by Don Shoemaker
By Don S. Shoemaker, Senal
Located in San Jose, CA
Mid-Century Modern abstract salt and pepper shakers designed by Don Shoemaker for Señal, S.A. Mexico. This set is handmade in rosewood with unique brass ring dispensers that makes fo...
Category
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Brass
Don Shoemaker Salt and Pepper Set with Tray of Rosewood, Oak and Mixed Woods
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very nice and great modern desgin in this rare set by Don Shoemaker.
Category
1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Don S. Shoemaker Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Wood
Don S. Shoemaker serveware, ceramics, silver and glass for sale on 1stDibs.
Don S. Shoemaker serveware, ceramics, silver and glass are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Don S. Shoemaker serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original serveware, ceramics, silver and glass by Don S. Shoemaker were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider serveware, ceramics, silver and glass by Senal, William Spratling, and Emilia Castillo. Prices for Don S. Shoemaker serveware, ceramics, silver and glass can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $225 and can go as high as $1,800, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $750.
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