Prelims 1996 · archive
MediumWhich one of the following Sculptures invariably used green schist as the medium?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) Gandhara Sculptures
Gandhara sculpture used green phyllite and grey-blue mica schist. Mauryan work was in polished sandstone and Mathura sculpture used red sandstone.
- ✓ (d) Gandhara sculptors worked in schist, green and grey-blue.
- ✗ (b) Mathura used spotted red sandstone.
- ✗ (a) Mauryan pillars were polished sandstone.
Remember · Gandhara = schist (and later stucco); Mathura = red sandstone; Mauryan = polished sandstone.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Ch 6 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- Gandhara art, Britannica ↗ · reference work “The materials used for Gandhara sculpture were green phyllite and gray-blue mica schist”
- NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Chapter 6 “Unlike the Gandhara style, it primarily used red sandstone for its sculptures”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 1996, General Studies paper. UPSC did not publish an answer key for 1996: the answer shown is the generally accepted one, and the sources above explain the facts behind it. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·