3 1/2 x 5 3/8 in (8.8 x 13.8 cm)

Provenance and Authentication:
According to the Letter of Authenticity (LOA) and Certificate of Authenticity (COA) provided by the consignor, this collectible was subjected to a forensic examination. The accompanying documentation states that the signatures were evaluated with reference to multiple characteristics, including ink deposition, material and aging characteristics, stylistic consistency, and historical context. Based on the examination described in these documents, the authentication provider concluded that the findings were consistent with the attributed signatures. The LOA and COA provided by the consignor accompany the lot.

A portrait postcard of Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), bearing a "Leo Tolstoy" signature beneath the writer's photographic portrait. The reverse is printed in the multilingual "Postkarte - Carte postale" format characteristic of early European postcard production, with designated correspondence and postage areas.

The postcard presents Tolstoy in his instantly recognizable later-life appearance, with his long beard and austere expression. As Tolstoy had become an internationally celebrated literary and intellectual figure by the later decades of his life, photographic portraits and postcards bearing his likeness circulated widely among readers and admirers, making a portrait postcard a particularly appropriate medium for his autograph.

The signature is positioned in the light area immediately beneath the portrait, leaving the principal facial image unobstructed. Of particular interest, the autograph is rendered in Latin characters as "Leo Tolstoy." Tolstoy's autograph material includes signatures intended for an international audience, making the form an important point for comparison with documented Latin-script examples.

The visible autograph displays flowing cursive movement and naturally changing proportions. "Leo" begins with an enlarged initial form before moving into more compressed connected strokes, while "Tolstoy" is broader, with a prominent initial movement, continuous cursive construction, and an extended terminal flourish. Variations in spacing, letter height, slant, and stroke direction provide useful characteristics for further comparison with documented Tolstoy autograph material.

The postcard exhibits visible toning, minor edge wear, and general signs of age consistent with an early photographic paper collectible.

As the author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, Tolstoy remains one of the defining figures of world literature. A signature preserved directly beneath his own photographic portrait creates an especially strong relationship between autograph and subject, giving the piece substantial appeal to collectors of literary autographs, Russian literature, historic photography, and nineteenth-century cultural history.