Throughout history the purpose of creating sculpture has been to produce works of art that are as permanent as is possible, so to that end works were usually produced in durable and frequently expensive materials, primarily bronze and stone such as marble, limestone, porphyry, and granite. More rarely precious materials such as gold, silver, jade, and ivory were used for chryselephantine works. More common and less expensive materials were used for sculpture for wider consumption, including woods such as oak, box and lime; terracotta and other ceramics and cast metals such as pewter and spelter.

Sculptors often built small preliminary works called maquettes of ephemeral materials such as plaster of paris, wax, clay and even plasticine, as Alfred Gilbert did for 'Eros' at Piccadilly Circus, London.