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