Gezer

Gezer is the surname shared by three brothers — Şevket, Kudret, and Mesut Gezer — in meerschaum carving. It is not a single registered brand or factory, but describes a family of masters who shared a bench for a time before each went on to produce under his own name. The brothers' work is discussed separately in collector circles; what they share is figural bowls depicting people and animals and dense floral ornamentation.

From a Quarry Village to the Bench

The eldest of the brothers, Şevket Gezer, was born in 1955. According to records, he was born in the village of Kozlubel — formerly Margı — some thirty kilometers from Eskişehir, one of the few settlements in the region where meerschaum is quarried. The same records state that his father both worked at the quarry and carved the stone, meaning the craft entered the family directly through the quarry. Şevket took his place at the bench as an apprentice at fifteen and trained in the workshops of Eskişehir's masters of the day.

Kudret Gezer's introduction to the stone came in 1977, at age twelve. Sources report that he started under his older brother Şevket and was working at his own bench by the early 1980s. Mesut Gezer, the youngest of the brothers, likewise entered the craft at twelve, following his older brothers. Today, all three produce out of Eskişehir.