Old cufflinks

[bpb]

Please can somebody help? There are a pair old gold cufflinks that my late brother had, possibly inherited from his father. The engraving on them is that of a phoenix which has one foot on a snake, and the snake is curled around a goblet.
Can anybody help me discover the symbolism behind the engraving, or if it indicates a certain organisation. We as a family are trying to discover the origin of the cufflinks and who the orignal owner was.
Many thanks

[NOX]

Snakes wrapped around a goblet is an old symbol for a pharmacist if that helps any- i know because my MIL was a pharmacist and has similar imagry on things she has collected.

[bpb]

Thank you NOX. When you say "old symbol for a pharmacist ", what period of time wouls this have been, do you think?

[NOX]

I'll be seeing her later and will be sure to ask her more about it for you bpb. She collects all things old and to do with pharmacy ( cabinets, poison scales, pestles and mortars, those weird old tall bottles etc) and a lot of things have a snake and a goblet on them which I would date well over 100 years old- but she would know more tbh - so I'll let you nknow once I've seen her.

[bpb]

That would be great ! Thank you very much indeed. Could you also ask her if she knows any possible meaning of the rising phoenix above the snake and goblet?

[jake-the-peg]

any help?

http://med-u-care.com/Documents/mussheet13.pdf

[Clanad]

To your knowledge was the father a Mason? (as in Masonic Lodge)... the symbology you describe appears in the 25th degree (and elsewhere), but may not be the same one. If any family member was a member of a Masonic lodge and you know someone now that is, perhaps they could verify or disclaim this possibility...

[bpb]

Thank you so much all. I will keep investigating all avenues. Any more ideas would be great!