Hallmarked: annual letter Q of Augsburg - 1763 (photos 14 and 15) Maker’s mark: unknown (photo 16) length: 9 cm The silver stork nappy tongs or pliers is a decorative object that was placed on the mantelpiece so that the family and visitors could see that the lady of the house was pregnant. Because there used to little known about the cause of miscarriages, they used to be blamed on the devil and therefore it was important not to wake up "sleeping devils" by talking about pregnancy. So the nappy pliers would make clear that there was no talk of pregnancy. This stork has a swaddled baby in the belly on one side and a mother on the other side and is in perfect balance on 1 claw.