Staunton chessmen
Chessmen of fanciful shapes and forms are often made as curiosities. For actual play, most players would prefer to use the "Staunton chessmen", the pattern of which Howard Staunton designed in 1849.
— H. J. R. Murray, A History of Chess, 1913[1]
The Staunton chessmen were chessmen released in London in 1849.
Largely favouring stylised symbols over realism, they're designed to be functional. Each piece is easily recognisable at a glance, and so easily distinguished from all the others. In effect, it's the design that least draws attention to itself, and most quickly lets you concentrate on actually playing the game. To this day, the Staunton chessmen are as close as you can get to a standard, internationally agreed upon design. They're quite literally iconic.
References
- A History of Chess H. J. R. Murray, 1913, p. 773
Styles of chessmen: Bauhaus chessmen | Dubrovnik chessmen | Lewis chessmen | Staunton chessmen
