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case is 280 cm high, 150 cm wide, and c. 80 cm deep. The sideboards, shelf fronts, and vertical separations are brightly decorated in carved painted wood and form a kind of grid. Both bookcases are symmetrically structured by six rows of five openings each, 26 x 22 cm in size and of vertically rectangular shape (Figs. 1, 2).
The backside to these elaborately decorated bookcases is a most simple one: the cases are open (17), and the bundles are not supported by full boards but only by two strong wooden poles to each row (Fig. 3). Klimburg-Salter (1982: fig. 47) shows the relation of the back of the book cases and Vairocana seen from South side.
A comparison of Francke's plate XVa and Tucci's plate XXI shows that the 'altar' facing for the East image of Vairocana must have been created between 1909 and 1933 (18). The lateral extension of the wooden and richly decorated altar facing into two bookcases on both sides cannot be seen on Tucci's plate XXI, but these cases are clearly present — at least one is – in Klimburg-Salter's figure 53 which was photographed in 1978. Since Tucci speaks only of a ‘rozzo scaffale lungo la parete sinistra', i.e. to the left of the entrance, one would assume that the two cases on both sides of the central altar facing did not yet exist in 1933. However, while not given on Tucci's figure 2, the map of the 'Du khan, in figure 1, the map of the whole monastery, the outline of which now would be represented by the altar facing proportionally including the two bookcases are definitely visible in the sketch of this ’Du khan (Tucci's gTsug lag khan). But it may be that this sketch gives only the central 'altar' facing and is not supposed to include any, as yet nonexistent, bookcases.
Otherwise it would seem very strange that Tucci did not mention these bookcases · at all.
The 'two piles' of manuscripts which Francke saw in 1909, must have been moved onto the roughly made shelf before Tucci's visit. When Klimburg-Salter visited in 1978, a lecture-throne (19) had been added to the altar facing and bookcases on both sides of the older central facing had been attached (cf. Klimburg-Salter 1982: 158a, fig. 53). This arrangement remains the same today (20).
This review based on the remarks and photographs of earlier visitors matches well with bSod nams sTobs rgyas' recollections, now a man of fifty and the eldest
(17) Should Tabo become open to international tourism in the near future, this treasure will be in immediate danger. Although wrapped in bundles, the lower ones are within reach of anyone passing towards the 'cella', and the mere presence of the monks may well turn out not to be a sufficient protection. It will, therefore, be of utmost importance for the undisturbed existence of this collection in the future, to protect it by adding at least a glass front to the facing and closing the backside of the cases.
(18) On this occasion, the two statues assumed to be of Rin chen bzan po (Snellgrove 1957: 148) which were still placed in front of Vairocana at the time of Francke's visit, were also integrated into the new structure as well as the other accompanying items (cf. Tucci 1935: pl. XXI).
(19) It may already have been there in 1933, for the dotted lines in front of the Vairocana-circle in Tucci's fig. 1 may well represent such a throne.
(20) The gridlike facing of the bookcases is not conspicuous on the latter photograph, but this seems to be due to the protruding position of the bundles.
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