Don S. Shoemaker Mexican Modern Inlaid Mixed Woods Parquetry Hinged Box
View Similar Items
Don S. Shoemaker Mexican Modern Inlaid Mixed Woods Parquetry Hinged Box
About the Item
- Creator:Don S. Shoemaker (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)Width: 6.5 in (16.51 cm)Depth: 5.5 in (13.97 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Wood,Parquetry
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. In very good vintage condition showing some stains and wear conducive with age.
- Seller Location:Palm Springs, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1046625877102
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.
More From This Seller
View AllVintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Cocobolo
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Ceramic
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Ceramic, Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Ceramic
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Wenge
You May Also Like
Vintage 1960s Mexican Modern Boxes
Wood
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Jacaranda, Rosewood, Cocobolo
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Cocobolo
Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Cocobolo, Wood
Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Jacaranda, Mahogany, Rosewood, Cocobolo
Vintage 1970s Mexican Organic Modern Decorative Boxes
Wood
