The art of glazed and enamelled terracotta, invetriatura, a technique used in Babylon and known to the Romans, was largely disseminated in the medieval period by Luca della Robbia (1400–1482), who applied it to monumental sculpture. Andrea, his nephew, who may have made this work and continued his uncle’s workshop, was the main disseminator of this type of object.

The medallion represents the theological Christian virtue of Faith (the others are Hope and Charity) and displays its traditional attributes, the cross and the chalice. It is personified by a female figure which stands out against a blue background that suggests the sky.

These circular reliefs, made of an inexpensive material, were used to decorate walls and ceilings, generally forming part of decorative sets comprising various elements.