Kersten (Paul, binder).- Ver Sacrum. Organ der Vereinigung Bildender Kuenstler Österreichs, 23/24 issues in 2 vol. (May/June 1898 a double issue), illustrations, some colour, magnificently bound in turquoise goatskin with onlays and tooled in gilt, by Paul Kersten, each volume with different design but both extending across spine and reflected on lower cover, title in gilt to upper covers, 1898 volume with swirling Art Nouveau sprays inlaid in tan and russet goatskin and small flowers to spine, 1899 volume with more elaborate design of elliptical panel formed by onlays of olive and russet goatskin containing leafy fronds and frame of wavy lines in gilt with olive onlays & leafy fronds to corners, both signed with monogram to upper cover and name to lower, marbled blue and tan doublures and endpapers, inner gilt dentelles of small dots to first volume and wavy suns to second, original printed pictorial or decorative wrappers bound in, a little rubbed and faded, particularly spines, very slight staining to upper cover of vol.1, small repairs to spines and corners, 4to (bindings c.295 x 290mm.), Vienna [& Leipzig], 1898-99.

⁂ The first two years of this ground-breaking five-year periodical devoted to the Vienna Secession movement in superb Art Nouveau bindings. The magazine was founded by Gustav Klimt and Max Kurzweil and designed primarily by Koloman Moser, with the architects Josef Hoffmann and Joeph Maria Olbrich among the group's members and contributors. Poems by Rainer Maria Rilke appeared in 1898 and 1899 issues while the March 1898 issue was devoted to Klimt, Alphonse Mucha designed the cover for November, and the December issue was illustrated by Fernand Khnopff.

Paul Kersten (1865-1943) was the pioneer of modern German bookbinding. Having trained at his grandfather's bindery in Glauchau he worked for H.Sperling in Leipzig and the Buntpapierfabrik A.G. in Aschaffenburg, for whom he designed decorated papers. He introduced Art Nouveau into German bookbinding and became a skilled teacher of the craft to many, including Otto Dorfner.