Hi Brainerd,
Mr. Juliar is the real authority here. I collect Nabokov, but have no signed books. It was a gut feeling on my part. I’ve seen a lot of VNs autographs in a wonderful book called “Vera’s Butterflies.” It’s a descriptive catalogue, with full-color illustrations, of signed VN items, many with drawn butterflies. So, comparing them to the pic in the eBay item you bought, the signature looked awkward, and the drawing looked familiar (Mr. Juliar was able to track down where it may have been copied from). Plus, if authentic, this would easily be a $10,000+ book. A small photo and a super brief description seems odd. But, again, I’m not an expert. Good luck. If it is a fake, I hope you can get your money back.
Best regards,
Vinny

Greetings, Vincent McDonough,
I purchased the book on Ebay, and I received it today with the letter of authenticity signed by J.M. Le Canuel of Le Monde de L’Autographe in Paris in 1981.
However, upon close examination Nabokov’s signature looks forced and certain letters or combinations of letters are uncharacterstically unattached or too vertical.
Initially I was heartened by the drawing of the Australian Lacewing, Neuroptera combined with a Hairstreak butterfly of the “Coronota which I found in “Nabokov’s Butterflies” between pp. 338-339.
Have you any conclusive evidence (to use a Nabokov title) that this inscription and drawing of the butterfly are forgeries?
Best,
Brainerd
Brainerd F. Phillipson * Rare Books
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