The Little Joiner, Very Scarce Late 19th C. German Made Construction Set pinstripes It appears it was once

It appears it was once coated in dark red paint—still on the reverse

4 1/2" t x 1 3/4" w x 1 3/4" d (at base)

which itself shows all sorts of marks and scratches

with a very rich patina

The Little Joiner, Very Scarce Late 19th C. German Made Construction Set pinstripes It appears it was onceI can find no record of this existence of this toy construction set out there anywhere, which sold me on the lid of the box alone. And it would not surprise me if very few sets were produced, as it is not exactly user friendly I can't imagine young hands (or any hands!) having a lot of success building complex structures with these. But, it seems a significant predecessor to many others (tinker toys for an example) and also very aligned with Froebel's