Lewis chessmen
The Lewis chessmen were 12th century chessmen hand crafted from walrus ivory and whales' teeth, possibly by vikings. They have an adorable cartoonish quality to them.
The Rooks are berserkers, seemingly with PTSD, biting their shields as if about to run amok. The Queen holds her head in her hand. The Knights ride on comically small horses. Everyone seems wide-eyed and worried, as well they might be in such a battle as depicted in a game of chess.
While not as intuitive as, say, the much later Staunton or Dubrovnik chessmen, the Lewis chessmen manage to be at once both ornate and functional, suitable as both a fun work of art and pieces to actually play with. They are, thankfully, much cloned.
Styles of chessmen: Bauhaus chessmen | Coffeehouse chessmen | Dubrovnik chessmen | Lewis chessmen | Staunton chessmen
