Don Shoemaker for Señal Bookends in Solid Cocobolo
About the Item
- Creator:Don S. Shoemaker (Designer),Senal (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 7.25 in (18.42 cm)Width: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)Depth: 4 in (10.16 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Mid-20th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Excellent vintage condition; cleaned and polished.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1645229162972
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 PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
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- Don Shoemaker Geometric Marquetry Decorative Tray for SeñalBy Senal, Don S. ShoemakerLocated 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
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- Don Shoemaker Sculpted Rosewood Bookends for Señal FurnitureBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Los Angeles, CADon shoemaker sculpted rosewood bookends for Señal Furniture.Category
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- Don Shoemaker Exotic Wood Inlaid Decorative Briefcase for Señal, circa 1970By Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Los Angeles, CAExquisitely crafted slim decorative briefcase designed by Don Shoemaker for Señal of Mexico. Taking advantage of the expertise provided by Mexican artisans, shoemaker founded Señal w...Category
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- Don Shoemaker Mexican Modern BookendsBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in San Diego, CAHand carved bookends in Cocobolo by Mexican Modernist Don Shoemaker. Retains original labels from his workshop in Señal Mexico. This design was included in the 2017 Don S. Shoemaker ...Category
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- Mexican Modern Bookends by Don ShoemakerBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Mexico City, CDMXCirca 1970. We offer this Hand carved bookends made in Cocobolo by Mexican Modernist Don Shoemaker. Include original labels from his workshop in Señal Mexico.Category
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