A mid to late nineteenth century alphabet of German manufacture, made for the English toy market, comprised of twenty-six hand-painted carved wooden figures, with some costume parts in paper. Each figure represents a trade, vocation, profession, nationality, etc., and each has a printed label bearing letters of the alphabet in upper and lower case at the base of the figure, with another label identifying the trade etc., at the rear. Each figure 85 – 130 mm tall. Contained in the original box with a sliding lid bearing a printed title label. Box: 315 long x 85 high x 155 mm wide.. Two figures have small pieces broken and missing; else the figures are in remarkable fine, fresh condition, and look to have hardly been played with. We have never seen a teaching aid like this before, and believe it to be extremely unusual and of considerable rarity.