Pair of Descanso Side Tables by Don Shoemaker for Señal in Cueramo Wood
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Pair of Descanso Side Tables by Don Shoemaker for Señal in Cueramo Wood
About the Item
- Creator:Don S. Shoemaker (Designer),Senal (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 20 in (50.8 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Length: 20 in (50.8 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970-1975
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1645211621453
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.
- 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
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- Don Shoemaker for Señal Bookends in Solid CocoboloBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Los Angeles, CAA pair of solid wood bookends by Mexican-American designer Don Shoemaker for his company, Señal. Rendered in highly figured cocobolo wood, a species of local tropical wood similar to...Category
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- 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
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- Don Shoemaker Wood Inlaid Chevron Pattern Cutting Board for SeñalBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Los Angeles, CACutting 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 Platters and Serveware
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- Don Shoemaker for Señal Diamond Geometric Marquetry TrayBy 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 surfa...Category
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- 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
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- Cocobolo Rosewood Dining Table by Don S. Shoemaker for Señal S.A. of MexicoBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Chattanooga, TNWanna be a bond villain in real life? Well here's your chance. Certain pieces just command respect and deserve appreciation for their flawless design. "WTF?" is typically the first thing uttered when people see this on our showroom floor. A literal jaw-droppper, regardless of whether installing as a dining table, desk or conference table. Lovingly restored by our in-house cabinet shop, this cocobolo wood table by Don S. Shoemaker is a rare find. Geometry and brutalism intertwine to form an architectural masterpiece of function and form. Staved slats of offset cocobolo form a brilliant patchwork that covers every visible inch of both the top and bottom sections. The grain and color tones vary in each slat to create a stunning visual contrast throughout. The pedestal and top separate easily without any screws or bolts. The table top has a grid-work of rails underneath that sink into corresponding notches on the base. The base is brilliantly assembled with a hollow interior to keep the weight to a minimum. This massive construction is surprisingly totable, without compromising rigidity or stability. Although we're uncertain on the production quantity, the total number is probably quite minuscule. Tagged with its original label and numbered #6 in several locations. About the designer: Furniture designer Don Shoemaker was born in Nebraska to an affluent family. During the 1930s, he studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. In the late 1940s, he married and subsequently, on his honeymoon, fell in love with Mexico. He loved the country so much that later in the 1940s, he moved to Mexico with his wife. Shoemaker lived and painted in a town called Santa Maria de Guido, overseeing the City of Morelia in Michoacán. Don and his wife Barbara lived in harmony with nature, growing many rare plants in their greenhouse. Don became inspired by the tropical woods of Mexico and began to manufacture furniture from these precious timbers. What began as a small factory in the late 1950s became known as Señal S.A and grew to where Don employed more than a hundred skilled artisans. Soon he became an important figure in the economic and cultural life of his adopted town. Señal S.A brought new wealth and an economic boost to the town, and Dom was known for his warm and charitable heart. The furniture designed for Señal S.A by Don were modern interpretations of traditional Mexican furnishings. Many of his iconic designs were inspired by traditional Mexican woodwork. The pieces made from Cocobolo, a Mexican rosewood, and other precious woods were highly sought after. The furniture was exported to showrooms in Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and large Mexican cities. His designs were liked very much by wealthy Mexican families...Category
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$20,213 Sale Price24% Off - Don Shoemaker Sculpted Rosewood & Leather Coffee Table for Señal FurnitureBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated 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
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- 1970s Custom-Made Exotic Wood Side Table Style of Don Shoemaker MexicoBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Chula Vista, CA1970s Custom-made Exotic Wood Side Table Style of Don Shoemaker Mexico Single hand-crafted side table in exotic wood 17.25 x 16.5 d x 16.25 Original preowned vintage condition Se...Category
Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
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- Don Shoemaker Senal S.A. Cocobolo Rosewood Parquetry Table, Mid CenturyBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Vienna, ATRare parquetry rosewood table in wonderful condition, Don Shoemaker 1960 We also have a rare sofa available from Don Shoemaker. A sculptural masterpiece by Don Shoemaker. We have this table in our collection at the moment together with a matching sofa...Category
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- Two Rosewood Nesting Tables, Don ShoemakerBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Atlanta, GAA set of two nesting tables made by Don Shoemaker for Señal, Mexico, circa 1960s. Heavy cubist construction with minimalist form and exposed dove joins and point joints. The surface...Category
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$4,800 / set - Pair of Side Tables, Round Bed Side Tables with Mother of Pearl Inlay in WoodBy Stephanie Odegard CollectionLocated in New York, NYPair of side tables, Mihrab bed side tables with Mother of Pearl Inlay in Wood is inspired by the Mihrab element of Indian architecture, this simp...Category
2010s Indian Victorian Side Tables
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