LONDON (AP) — If it weren't awful, it would simply be hilarious: A waiter preparing for a corporate event at the British Museum knocked the thumb off a priceless Roman statue.

The museum acknowledged the incident on Thursday, and said the 2,000-year-old Townley Venus has been completely restored.

The Art Newspaper first reported the incident, which took place in December of last year.

The newspaper says the waiter was working too close to the statue, which is on a low pedestal. The thumb on the right hand broke off, falling cleanly to the floor beneath the 7-foot (2-meter) statue.

The museum says the incident was taken seriously and individuals responsible for events have been retrained.

The museum did not identify the catering company.