The word <i>tanka literarily means something rolled. That is a rolled image or a painted scroll. It always has a mounting, and the word refers to the picture and mounting together. The borders of a <i>tanka are an integral part of the painting and not simply an auxiliary. The <i>tanka is not merely decorative, but an aid to worship and meditation. The mounting has its own iconography and symbolism which should not be ignored. It will not be correct to remove the borders of <i>tankas from the main paintings. The constituent materials of <i>tankas are described. Problems of deterioration as well as methods of treatment have been mentioned. O. P.A. -- AATA