In some murals of the Dunhuang Grottoes, eminent monks or laymen are shown reading or preaching sutras from a small shelf-like stand. This stand has not come to the attention of earlier studies. Based on her analysis of sutras, Dunhuang documents and murals, and a the collections of the Shōsō-in in Japan, the author suggests this object should be called a "sutra stand," and discusses its use and development. Based on this research, she also looked through all the different scenes and motifs of the sutra stand in the Mogao Grottoes. This study is valuable for judging the age and motif of Dunhuang murals.
