Brad Pitt has paid an odd tribute to his adopted New Orleans, Louisiana in the shape of a new tattoo on his lower back.

The movie star was spotted showing off a new tattoo over the weekend, but left those who saw it puzzled about what the black lines and boxes represented.

Experts told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, which ran with the photos taken in Monaco, that the markings could be inspired by a map of the levees in New Orleans, which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Since the disaster, Pitt and his family have bought a home in New Orleans, and the movie star is at the forefront of a major rehousing project in the city.