Where does the phrase "As cute as a button" originate from?

CUTE AS A BUTTON - "cute, charming, attractive, almost always with the connotation of being small, 1868 (from the original 1731 English meaning of 'acute' or clever).
http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/171282/cute-as-a-button

I found another explanation here:
The origin of the phrase "cute as a button"...it actually has nothing to do with a button as in a button on a shirt. the button quail is a very small gray super, super fluffy squishy looking (or 'cute' if you will) bird. people used to say "cute as a button", meaning "cute as a button quail" b/c the bird was considered so adorable.

https://robingriggswood.wordpress.com/2013/12/02/robin-griggs-wood-google-cute-as-a-button-ever-wonder-where-that-phrase-comes/

An alternative is as cute/acute (small and sudden) as a button (pimple/rash of pimples), meaning quite the opposite of its claim.

http://ndsmcobserver.com/2013/03/cute-as-a-button/

However bright as a button is a different term which can be taken literally from polished buttons.

http://ndsmcobserver.com/2013/03/cute-as-a-button/