- Home
- Furniture
- Seating
- Accent Chairs
- Lounge Chairs
- Scarce Mid-Century Modern Mexican Don Shoemaker S…
Or save it to favorites and we'll tell you if this item goes on sale!
- Get the Chairish App
- to view in your space
Scarce Mid-Century Modern Mexican Don Shoemaker Señal s.a Signed Sling Swinger Chair - Set of 4
- Get the Chairish App
- to view in your space
Details
Description
A magnificent set of four rare original Mid-Century Modern Mexican bocote wood and black leather "Swingers" by legendary designer Don …
more
A magnificent set of four rare original Mid-Century Modern Mexican bocote wood and black leather "Swingers" by legendary designer Don S. Shoemaker (1919-1990)
This iconic Modernist armchair was designed by Shoemaker in the late 1950s and manufactured by his workshop Señal, S.A. in Santa María de Guido, Michoacán, Mexico, circa 1970, featuring a most distinctive masculine sculptural form, hand-crafted of warm rich exotic bocote with visually striking grain patterns, outstanding color and warmth (native to Mexico, bocote is similar to rosewood but without the export restrictions), exceptionally executed, having high-quality drawbore mortise through-tenoned joinery strengthened with butterfly splines.
Known as the "Sling Swinger", this masterpiece is one of Shoemaker's most iconic and timeless designs. Conceived as an "inverted rocking chair", the chair's seat and leather back move gently back and forth over the fixed structure, providing a slight rocking motion that makes the chair as comfortable, roomy and relaxing as it is attractive.
Signed, retaining the original Señal, S.A. Hecho En Mexico sticker and USA patent label to the rear stretcher.
Provenance / Acquisition:
These chairs were part of the William Pahlmann (1900-1987) interior redesign of the Memorial Student Center / Theater Complex on the Texas A&M campus (College Station, Texas) which took place in the early 1970s and officially opened in 1975.
Approximately thirty of these Sling Swinger chairs were placed around the MSC "Flag Room" which was designed and furnished by Pahlmann. During that time, the chairs' current owner was employed by Texas A&M and would greatly admire them, so when the opportunity presented itself in the mid-1980s at a Texas A&M surplus auction, the current owner was able to acquire these chairs directly from the university.
Dimensions: (approx)
32.5" High, 30.5" Wide (at arm rests), 30" Deep; Seat height: 17.5"
Condition:
The collection of four chairs has been immaculately cared for and well preserved, moderately restored, while retaining original vintage character and charm. Excellent vintage condition, they present splendidly, with minimal wear consistent with age and use. Overall, truly superb examples.
Please note, although they are shown outside for the photographs, they are indoor chairs and have never been stored outside.
*Additional photos available upon request
DON SHOEMAKER (1919 - 1990)
Arguably, Mexico's greatest modern furniture designer, Don Shoemaker, was born in Nebraska in 1919 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 Don 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 are 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 and American families who had complete sets decorating their homes.
His most well-known designs include the Sling Sloucher chair, Sling Swinger chair, the Suspension stool, and his Coffee tables, which were also very popular. Don Shoemaker’s furniture, chairs, tables, and decorative objects remain popular worldwide.
Don passed away in 1990 and handed the business over to his son George; however, George died in the early 2000s, and the company disappeared.
less
- Dimensions
- 30.5ʺW × 30ʺD × 32.5ʺH
- Styles
- Mid-Century Modern
- Number of Seats
- 1
- Seat Height
- 17.5 in
- Designer
- Don S. Shoemaker
- Period
- Mid 20th Century
- Country of Origin
- Mexico
- Item Type
- Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned
- Materials
- Leather
- Rosewood
- Condition
- Good Condition, Original Condition Unaltered, Some Imperfections
- Color
- Brown
- Condition Notes
- The collection of four chairs has been immaculately cared for and well preserved, moderately restored, while retaining original vintage character … moreThe collection of four chairs has been immaculately cared for and well preserved, moderately restored, while retaining original vintage character and charm. Excellent vintage condition, they present splendidly, with minimal wear consistent with age and use. Overall, truly superb examples. less
Need more product details?
Shipping Options
Standard Returns & Cancellations
Return Policy - All sales are final 48 hours after delivery, unless otherwise specified in the description of the product.
Extended Return for Trade
- Expands return window for trade members to 14 days (12 days more than our standard return policy)
- Trade member to notify Chairish of intent to return within 14 days of item delivery
- Buyer refunded item cost. Buyer pays return shipping cost
- Does not apply to damages that occur post-delivery
Questions about the item?
Related Collections
- Patrician Lounge Chairs
- Holly Hunt Lounge Chairs
- Plaid Lounge Chairs
- Moroccan Lounge Chairs
- Rosenthal Lounge Chairs
- Dorothy Draper Lounge Chairs
- Velour Lounge Chairs
- Tweed Lounge Chairs
- Charlotte Perriand Lounge Chairs
- Stainless Steel Lounge Chairs
- Small Lounge Chairs
- Gemstone Lounge Chairs
- EJ Victor Lounge Chairs
- Laminate Lounge Chairs
- Henning Kjaernulf Lounge Chairs
- Seagrass Lounge Chairs
- Mother-of-Pearl Lounge Chairs
- Metropolitan Furniture Lounge Chairs
- Kai Kristiansen Lounge Chairs
- Chenille Lounge Chairs
- Marble Lounge Chairs
- Terra Cotta Lounge Chairs
- Polycarbonate Lounge Chairs
- Farmhouse Lounge Chairs
- Brueton Lounge Chairs
Returns
- Does not arrive
- Is broken during transit
- Is entirely different than what you purchased
- Some made-to-order items and a limited selection of other items (noted as non-refundable in the returns and cancellations section of the product description)
-
Orders where Free Local Pickup or Seller Managed Local Delivery were selected:
- Upon inspection, If you decide not to move forward with the purchase, you or your agent must refuse the item at the time of pickup/delivery from the seller
- Once you have taken possession of the item, all sales are final
- International, cross-border returns may require different processes depending on the countries between which the item is shipping to/from, and the buyer is responsible and duties (if applicable, on cross-border orders).
- On approved returns, the buyer is responsible for the full cost of return packing and shipping.
Cancellations
- Prior to shipping or local pickup, buyers may cancel an order for any reason, with the exception of some Made-to-Order items, where supplies have been purchased or work begun on the item.
- Please notify us within 24 hours of purchase if you would like to cancel an order, as prompt cancellation will reduce the likelihood that you will incur return shipping charges.
- Once shipping or pickup has been initiated, the cancellation will be considered a return and you will be responsible for the cost of shipping.
Shipping
Note: Made-to-Order items typically include a lead time or custom delivery window that is added to the delivery time.
- Chairish Express In-Home Delivery
- Chairish Express In-Home deliveries are currently only offered for international cross-border shipments.
- The item will be delivered to your home and placed in the desired room. The delivery service includes unpacking, inspecting, and removing packaging materials; and does not include installation or setting up the item.
- Shipping charges start at $999 and vary based on the size, weight, packaging, and/or the value of the item.
- Deliveries can take anywhere from 6 to 9 weeks to be delivered.
- Chairish Freight Delivery
- Delivered in a crate, to your front door.
- You will need tools and/or equipment to open the crate.
- Shipping charges start at $799 and vary based on the size, weight, packaging, and/or the value of the item.
- Chairish Freight deliveries can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks.
- Only available in selected markets.
- Chairish In-Home Delivery
- The item will be delivered to your home and placed in the desired room. The delivery service includes unpacking, inspecting, and removing packaging materials; and does not include installation or setting up the item.
-
Shipping charges start at $149 and based on the size and the distance between pickup and delivery
(for approximate values see table):
Delivery Type Within 50 miles radius Within 1,500 miles radius Over 1,500 miles radius International Cross-Border Shipping Price $149 - $299 $199 - $799 $449 - $899 Over $899 Transit Time 2 to 4 weeks 3 to 6 weeks 4 to 8 weeks 12 to 17 weeks - For some items, the shipping price may vary depending on the size, weight, material and/or value of the item.
- Free Local Pickup
- Local pickup allows customers to inspect an item at the time of pickup and avoid shipping costs.
- Following purchase, a confirmation email is sent to the email address associated with the order, and includes: Pickup Verification & Seller's contact information
- Please contact the seller within 5 days to coordinate pickup
- Once the item has been picked up (by you or your representative) it cannot be returned or refunded.
- Free Shipping
- Free shipping may be offered on select listings.
- Smaller items are typically delivered within 2 weeks of the purchase date, while larger items and furniture may take up to 6 weeks for delivery.
- When an item with Free Shipping is returned, the cost of return shipping fees will be charged to the buyer.
- Parcel Delivery
- Shipment is arranged through recognized carriers such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL.
- Only pieces that can be safely packed in a box or envelope may be shipped via parcel.
- Shipping charges start at $9 — and vary based on the size, weight, packaging and the value of the item.
Delivery Type US Domestic International Cross-Border Shipping Price $9 - $99 $39 - $499 Transit Time 1 to 2 weeks 2 to 4 weeks - Seller Managed Delivery
- Shipping is offered and managed by the seller, through a shipper of the seller’s choice.
- Available on items at the seller’s discretion.
- Seller Managed Local Delivery
- Local curbside delivery is offered and managed by the seller, within a limited geography.
- Following purchase, a confirmation email is sent to the confirmation email address associated with the order, and includes: Pickup Verification Code & Seller’s contact information
- Please contact the seller within 5 days to coordinate delivery.
The Chairish Buyer Guarantee
Make an Offer
Fees and shipping costs will be calculated in the next step
Have questions about how offers work? Learn more or .
Flag this comment for moderation?