A LIGHTNING strike has blown the breasts off one man's iconic tribute to Northern Territory women. Literally.

Stonemasonry boss Tom Finlay, 48, was standing 50m from his voluptuous hand-carved Venus de Milo when a flash of white light and an "almighty kaboom" sent stone flying through the air, The NT News reports.

Mr Finlay - who carved the statue as a tributeb to NT women - said he was amazed her 30kg breasts had survived the phenomenon.

"There was a clap of thunder and the sculpture blew up like a rocket-launcher had hit it," he said.