The Museum of New Mexico and Shaw Living Re-Interpret Ancient Western Designs

January 1, 2005 DALTON, GA. —From the Arctic expanses of the great white north to the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego, weaving traditions are a shared form of expression for native cultures throughout the Western hemisphere. Common among these inspirational expressions is a reverence for and celebration of the natural and spiritual worlds.

New West from Shaw Living, a 30-piece collection spanning the iconography of Native peoples throughout the Americas , is a modern rendering of the designs that have become associated with the West. Taking inspiration from Northwest coast Indian baskets, Navajo textiles, Mexican serapes and Peruvian weavings from the collections of the Museum of New Mexico , Shaw has reinterpreted ancient design motifs to create a collection as dynamic and diverse as the region.

Shaw Living selected patterns that encompass the geographic boundaries of the West as well as design motifs from textiles and basketry native to the region. The New West collection thus falls nicely into two groups—one inspired by textiles from South America , specifically Peru , and the other from North America , primarily Navajo textiles.

Shaw Living is a division of Shaw, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. and the largest soft floor covering manufacturer in the world. Shaw Living is America ’s leader in rugs for the home, including area, bath, scatter and outdoor mats. Shaw Living also produces other soft goods including top of the bed.