Māori culture and Art Deco
A little known fact about the style however is that in the 1930s, architects designing in the Art Deco style occasionally used decorative motifs from indigenous cultures - including, in New Zealand, motifs from Māori culture. The use of Māori art forms though was certainly not widespread. Of the almost 150 buildings constructed or reconstructed during the rebuilding of Napier (following the 1931 Earthquake), only three feature Māori decoration. One is Napier's famous Soundshell (on Marine Parade), but the features are subtle. The other two buildings however include Māori decoration in what is possibly the purest form to be found anywhere in New Zealand.