Albert Schmitz trivet

This handsome trivet caught my eye on eBay last year. It was an estate piece with, unfortunately, no known provenance. I purchased it for $100 with the expectation that I’d discover its history, but a year later it remains a mystery. I suspect this was an advertising piece for a clothier or laundry. Both Gerresheim and Benrath are cities outside Dusseldorf, Germany.

● Cast metal in a dark silvery finish. A magnet sticks. No damage.
● Measurements: 5 5/8″ diameter with three 3/8″ paw like feet. Weight = 11 1/4 ounces.
● Slight age related wear to the top surface design with loss of detail to one of the six-pointed stars.
● One 3 1/2″ long area of superficial roughness on the reverse.
● On face: ALBERT SCHMITZ and GERRESHEIM & BENRATH.
● Unsigned on the reverse.

Hopefully a reader will recognize this trivet and come forward with some information, which could then be shared as an Update. Contact me!