Although the Eskimo has been a carver for thousands of years, modern Inuit stone carving began in the mid-twentieth century as way to generate some income for the Canadian Eskimos (or Inuit, as they call themselves). Most of these original carvings were small and were used as toys or barter goods, rather than as sculpture. The stone they used was given the generic name, "soapstone", although most of the carvings are actually produced from a variety of harder stones such as serpentine and olivine and other materials such as bone and ivory.
From these humble beginnings, Eskimo sculpture has developed in quality, variety, collectability and certainly, price. Still the Inuit artists generally stick to the forms that define their culture and their Arctic environment.