The Child Jesus is represented naked, standing, the right hand giving a blessing, while his left hand probably held an attribute. His chubby arms and legs, round belly, plump face and lack of neck reflect the anatomical realities of childhood. The naturalism of the work is evidenced in the attention to flesh tints exclusively in the parts visible after the statue is dressed: the head, feet and hands. The decorative treatment of the curly locks of hair is still marked by Gothic culture while the anatomical realism heralds the Renaissance. The ivy crown on the head of this charming baby serves both as ornamentation and symbol. The plant symbolises love in its ability to bind things together, and eternity through its evergreen foliage. But when combined with the vine, ivy also heralds the shedding of blood.

Realistic depictions of the Child Jesus spread in the early 14th century throughout central Italy. Such images accompanied and injected emotional significance into a late mediaeval religious culture whose main focus was on the humanity of Christ. Worship and devotion to the nativity lay at the heart of the spirituality of the mendicant orders, particularly among the Franciscans.