Don Shoemaker Midcentury Organic Jacaranda Wood Jewelry Box
About the Item
- Creator:Don S. Shoemaker (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 3 in (7.62 cm)Width: 6 in (15.24 cm)Depth: 5 in (12.7 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:20th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Hollywood, FL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Contemporary American Modern Seashell Music Box / Jewelry BoxLocated in New York, NYContemporary American Modern music box / jewelry box with an exterior finished in beige and pink speckled seashells, which opens along a hinged edge to a red velvet interior, with a ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Decorative Boxes
MaterialsCoral
- French Victorian Metal Jewelry BoxLocated in New York, NYFrench Victorian large faux wood painted metal jewel box with bronze dore trim and center frame.Category
Antique 19th Century French Victorian Decorative Boxes
MaterialsMetal, Bronze
- English Victorian Decoupaged Horse Jewelry BoxLocated in New York, NYEnglish Victorian-style (20th century) decoupage decorated box with horse and rider design (signed).Category
20th Century Victorian Decorative Boxes
- English Victorian Decoupaged Horse Jewelry BoxLocated in New York, NYEnglish Victorian (20th Century) decoupage decorated jewelery box with horse design and fitted interior.Category
20th Century British Victorian Jewelry Boxes
- Contemporary American Modern Oval Seashell Jewelry BoxLocated in New York, NYContemporary American Modern oval jewelry box with an applied seashell exterior and red velvet interior.Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry Boxes
MaterialsCoral
- Continental Miniature Wooden Bombe Chest Jewelry BoxLocated in New York, NYAntique Belgian wooden jewelry box shaped like a bombe chest with three lockable drawers and ornate brass hardware and ornamentation.Category
20th Century Belgian Other Jewelry Boxes
MaterialsBrass, Metal
- Don Shoemaker Mixed Woods Trinket Box Circa 1960sBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Peabody, MAMixed woods trinket box, including rosewood and Mexican hardwoods such as jacaranda and cocobolo, by Don Shoemaker, Mexico, circa 1960s.Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
MaterialsJacaranda, Rosewood, Cocobolo
- Abstract Box by Don ShoemakerBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Mexico City, CDMXDesigned by Don Shoemaker and handcrafted by SEÑAL, S.A. Mexico, circa 1960s. Using exotic local wood in Mexico such as Granadillo, excellent vintage condition.Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Jewelry Boxes
MaterialsCocobolo
- 1970s Don Shoemaker for Señal Carved Root Wood Box MexicoBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Chula Vista, CA1970s Free form lidded box designer Don Shoemaker Mexico Retains original label Señal Cocobolo root wood 6.5 h x 4 d x 10 w Original vintage unrestored condition. Expect signs of vin...Category
Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
MaterialsCocobolo, Wood
- Don S. Shoemaker Mexican Modern Inlaid Mixed Woods Parquetry Hinged BoxBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Palm Springs, CAInlaid mixed woods parquetry box created by Don Shoemaker, circa 1960s. Box measures 2.25" by 6.5" by 5.5" and is in very good vintage condition showing some wear. Signed with the Do...Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
MaterialsWood
- Don Shoemaker Petite Hinged Lid Box for SeñalBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Los Angeles, CARectangular Cocobolo box by Don Shoemaker for his company Señal, c.1960s, Mexico. Shoemaker is known for his use of exotic Mexican hardwoods and this hinged lid box is a beautiful ex...Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
MaterialsCocobolo
- Don Shoemaker Cylindrical VesselBy Senal, Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Los Angeles, CAA Rosewood cylindrical vessel with geometric pattern by Don Shoemaker for his company Señal in the 1960s. Shoemaker is known for the marquetry in his w...Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
MaterialsRosewood