2024 · Q66
Consider the following statements about the costumes and headgear/hairstyle in India during 4th - 7th century AD:
- 1There was a marked preference for stitched garment as compared to any previous age
- 2Simple plaits without any floral embellishment dominated the hairstyle of women Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
history-of-indiaart-culture
- A1 only
- B2 only
- CBoth 1 and 2
- DNeither 1 nor 2
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: art-historical evidence (Gupta-period sculpture at Mathura, Sarnath and Ajanta) shows a marked increase in the use of stitched garments — tunics, sewn upper garments and trousers influenced by Saka-Kushan and Central Asian contact — compared with the predominantly unstitched draped garments of earlier periods. Statement 2 is NOT correct: Gupta-period women's hairstyles were elaborate, adorned with flowers, pearls and jewels (as seen in Ajanta paintings and contemporary sculpture), not simple unadorned plaits. With only statement 1 correct, the answer is A.