A late Victorian diamond-set bird bar brooch

A late Victorian diamond-set bird bar brooch, the three flying storks set with cushion-shaped diamonds and ruby eyes in silver on gold, on a gold bar brooch with inscription dated 1889 (possibly to commemorate a birth), 5cm wide

The myth of the stork delivering babies can be traced back to antiquity. In the 19th century, it gained new traction as a symbol of birth when it was popularised by Hans Christian Andersen in his version of the fable, called "The Storks" (1838).