She had tapped it with her finger, witnesses at the event said. The statue - one of Koons' iconic Dog Balloons - smashed into tiny shards, and had to be swept into dustpans by gallery staff.

Issued in 1995 by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

26.7 x 26.7 cm. (10.5 x 10.5 in.) A towering figure in the world of contemporary art, Jeff Koons is among the best known, and certainly one of the most expensive living artists.

One of Jeff Koons' famous "balloon dog" sculptures was broken at an art festival in Miami last week after a woman allegedly bumped the sculpture and it fell off its stand, shattering into pieces.