"Now You Know Why the Knights in Your Chess Sets Always Look Like They’re Screaming in Agony"

"Inspired by the Neoclassical architecture of Victorian London and a very modern need for standardization and mass production, the Staunton chessmen helped popularize the game and quickly became the world standard. The new Staunton pieces by Daniel Weil reinforces this architectural history of the original pieces while respecting their timeless design."

Jimmy Stamp at Smithsonian discusses the history of modern chess pieces.