Mahogany “Camel” Convertible Cocktail-Dining Table – VKG for Brown Saltman

$5,900

A rare and exceptionally restored convertible cocktail-to-dining table, referred to as the Camel table, produced by Brown Saltman of Los Angeles, one of the most important California furniture manufacturers of the postwar period. The design exemplifies the rational, craft-conscious modernism that distinguished the California school from its East Coast and European contemporaries: functional ingenuity delivered without sacrifice of formal elegance.

The thick, generously proportioned rectangular top presents a beautifully grained hardwood surface, likely Honduras mahogany veneers, with a subtly eased edge that softens the mass without compromising the rectilinear authority of the composition. Below, twin open-frame trestle bases, each composed of paired vertical stiles joined by a flush horizontal stretcher, provide structural clarity and visual lift. The geometry of the base is resolved with notable precision: the negative space created within each trestle reads as a deliberate formal element, not merely a structural necessity.

The convertible mechanism allows the table to function at cocktail height for lounge use and rise to full dining height, a hallmark of California mid-century design thinking, which prioritized adaptability for the open-plan interiors of the period.

The table appears to have been refinished at some point in its life and is in fine condition. The table is signed with the Brown Saltman decal at the top of one of the supports.