Midcentury Freeform Rare Bowl by Mexican Modernist Don Shoemaker 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:Don S. Shoemaker (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 2 in (5.08 cm)Width: 9 in (22.86 cm)Depth: 7 in (17.78 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Repaired: Small repair as shown done originally sold AS/IS. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor structural damages.
- Seller Location:San Diego, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU936632599512
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.
You May Also Like
Vintage 1980s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Decorative Baskets
Leather, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Decorative Dishes and Vide-...
Enamel
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Candlesticks
Brass
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Aluminum
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Decorative Bowls
Blown Glass
Vintage 1960s French Modern Decorative Bowls
Ceramic
Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Bronze
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Jacaranda, Rosewood, Cocobolo
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Decorative Bowls
Teak
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Wood, Fruitwood, Olive
More From This Seller
View AllVintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Wood, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Fountains
Cocobolo
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Cocobolo
Vintage 1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Wood
20th Century Italian Decorative Bowls
Art Glass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Ceramic
