Miniature scissors, 19th century

Silver-gilt scissors, miniature, for umbilical cord(?), 1801-1900

These miniature scissors are made of silver-gilt and may have been used for cutting the umbilical cord of newborn babies. Alternatively they could be sewing scissors. They are designed to look like a stork, with the blades forming the beak, suggesting a connection to childbirth and explaining the confusion over their function.