Don Shoemaker for Senal S.A. Cocobolo Rosewood Lidded Catch-All Box, Signed

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Don Shoemaker for Senal S.A. Cocobolo Rosewood Lidded Catch-All Box, Signed

About the Item

This incredible Cocobolo Rosewood lidded catchall box by leading 1960s modernist designer Don Shoemaker for Senal S.A. (Mexico) is highly sought after by interior designers and avid collectors alike. This example is particularly perfect for the discriminating collector. Signed underneath with a Don Shoemaker Senal S.A. label. Consider using as a cigar or cigarette box, stash box, keys and wallet valet box, catch-all box, jewelry box, cufflink box, photos box, personal box, ring box or anything else to help you organize with class and style. Artistically sculpted exotic Cocobolo Rosewood put together in an eye catching and interesting form with Shoemaker's signature detailing. Exceptional craftsmanship. This particular example has great vivid detail to the wood grain - a truly exceptional example. We also have other Don Shoemaker items in stock including 'Sloucher' lounge chairs and 'Swinger' armchairs, the super rare sculptural dining table, trays, lidded boxes and accessories, contact us for our current selection of Don Shoemaker for Senal SA collection. Mexican Modern is a style that fits incredibly well with Mid-Century Modern, Scandanavian or Danish Modern, Brazilian Modern, and Hollywood Regency. It is also a great addition for interior designers to turn an otherwise simple contemporary space and add a splash of wild and interesting. Whether you are designing a Mid-Century Modern home, contemporary, post-modern or french neoclassical apartment, this Don Shoemaker cigarette box is the perfect accent to any space. Could also work great in a craftsman or arts and crafts home or penthouse apartment. Also consider mixing it up in a traditional, classical, Industrial or Art Deco room with a splash of juxtaposition. With such unique style, this cufflink box by Don Shoemaker would also be an Apt choice in a commercial project such as a hotel lobby lounge, members club, creative design studio or high-rise executive office. Condition: Excellent collectors example in all-original condition with original label. Rosewood is in excellent original condition with light patina and gorgeous cocobolo wood grain, an ideal example for the discriminating collector client. Measurements: H 2.5" x W 8" x D 5.5".

Creator:
Don S. Shoemaker (Designer),Senal (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)Width: 8 in (20.32 cm)Depth: 5.5 in (13.97 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Cocobolo,Rosewood
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
1960s
Condition:
Excellent collectors example in all-original condition with original label. Rosewood is in excellent original condition with light patina and gorgeous cocobolo wood grain, an ideal example for the discriminating collector client.
Seller Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1330217014292

Shop All Don S. Shoemaker

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.