Expertly Restored - Don S. Shoemaker Rosewood Oval Tray for Señal Furniture
About the Item
- Creator:Senal (Manufacturer),Don S. Shoemaker (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 0.5 in (1.27 cm)Width: 14 in (35.56 cm)Depth: 6 in (15.24 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Refinished. Newly Refinished. by Danish Modern LA’s Restoration Studio.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU971133059162
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: Los Angeles, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Don S. Shoemaker Multi-Wood Decorative Tray for Señal FurnitureBy Senal, Don S. ShoemakerLocated 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 Serving Pieces
MaterialsWood, Mahogany, Rosewood
- Don Shoemaker Sculpted Rosewood & Leather Coffee Table for Señal FurnitureBy Senal, Don S. ShoemakerLocated 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
- Don S. Shoemaker Sculpted Cocobolo Bookends for Señal FurnitureBy Senal, Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Los Angeles, CADon S. Shoemaker sculpted cocobolo bookends for Señal Furniture.Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Bookends
MaterialsRosewood, Cocobolo
- Don Shoemaker Sculpted Rosewood Bookends for Señal FurnitureBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Los Angeles, CADon shoemaker sculpted rosewood bookends for Señal Furniture.Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Bookends
MaterialsRosewood, Cocobolo
- Expertly Restored - Don Shoemaker Folding Leather & Rosewood StoolBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Los Angeles, CADon Shoemaker Folding Leather & Rosewood Stool for Señal Furniture ________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing hi...Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Expertly Restored - Paul McCobb 6-Drawer Dresser for Winchendon FurnitureBy Paul McCobb, Planner GroupLocated in Los Angeles, CAPaul McCobb 6-drawer dresser for winchendon furniture. ________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back t...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsAluminum
- Don Shoemaker Decorative Tray for SeñalBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Los Angeles, CAServing 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
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
MaterialsRosewood
- Don Shoemaker for Señal Marquetry Paper TrayBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Los Angeles, CACocobolo 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 More Desk Accessories
MaterialsHardwood, Cocobolo, Rosewood
- Don Shoemaker Geometric Marquetry Decorative Tray for SeñalBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Los Angeles, CAA 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 Platters and Serveware
MaterialsRosewood
- Don Shoemaker Geometric Marquetry Decorative Tray for SeñalBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Los Angeles, CAA 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 Platters and Serveware
MaterialsRosewood
- Don Shoemaker Geometric Marquetry Decorative Tray for SeñalBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Los Angeles, CAA 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 Platters and Serveware
MaterialsRosewood
- Don Shoemaker for Señal Diamond Geometric Marquetry TrayBy Senal, Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Los Angeles, CAServing 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
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
MaterialsRosewood
