Green serpentine stone carved sculptures from Zimbabwe have achieved renown across the world. It has been suggested that the tradition of carving in stone goes back to the time of Great Zimbabwe, though this view is not widely accepted.

The art was given impetus in modern times during the 1960s when Tom Bloomfield encouraged his farm workers at Tengenenge to create stone carvings for sale as a way of helping them avoid the impact of economic sanctions affecting the country. Another community of sculptors was established at Vukutu in Nyanga. The Tengenenge and Vukutu groups produced master sculptors such as Joram Mariga Sylvester Mubayi and Joseph Ndandarika. Further impetus was given by Frank McEwen, first director of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, whose Workshop School was attended by many famous Shona sculptors in the early 1960s.

Most of the artists had no formal training in art and produced works that were inspired by their traditions and day-to-day experiences. While these early sculptures were influenced by a need to communicate social messages, nowadays a new type of art has emerged which thrives on aesthetic appeal. Such art is now found at many tourist destinations where it is made by young man and women desperate to earn a living amidst the harsh economic conditions present in Zimbabwe at the moment.