A book of short stories, signed by Russian author Anton Chekhov and bound in original gilt-lettered navy blue cloth, is expected to fetch USD 20,000 at an auction in the US.
The book, Povesti i Razskazy (Stories and Tales), was given by Chekhov to a friend and inspiration Semen Ilich Bychkov, according to US-based RR Auction.
Bychkov was a waiter at the Grand Hotel in Moscow where Chekhov stayed. The online auction will end on May 9.
Inscribed in ink, the message on the first free end page reads, "To Semen Ilich Bychkov, from the author, Anton Chekhov. 25 March 1897. In nice memory."
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