Acquired in Pisa in the 14th century, this piece is reputed to have come from the city's Santa Catarina church. It may be the work of a pupil of Nino Pisano, an artist from Pisa: it bears a certain resemblance to other Tuscan sculptures depicting the Annunciation.

This sculpted group shows the story of the Annunciation taken from the Gospel according to Saint Luke. The angel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary that she will be visited by the Holy Spirit and that she will carry the Infant Jesus. The Virgin and the angel Gabriel are portrayed full-size, and the pictorial style used for the skin gives these two figures the illusion of life.  The connection between them is clear from the way they look at one another. The artist also manages to convey the Virgin's surprise as she moves to step back in reaction to Gabriel's sudden appearance in her home – but above all to the news he is bringing her. To convey the spontaneity of this movement, the sculptor's hand has been guided by the natural curve of the piece of wood he used for the carving.

The Virgin and Gabriel may originally have been set in an alcove or placed at either side of the main altar in a church. One has to imagine that the Virgin was taken by surprise whilst reading: she would originally have held a book in her hand, but the arm has since been damaged. She would also have been wearing a crown on her head, as suggested by the reshaping in this area. We can assume that the statue of the Virgin, as well as that of Gabriel, were probably dressed in fine robes for festivals, as the jointed arms of the Virgin seem to indicate. These statues may have been used for theatrical scenes or carried during processions.