A fully functional, 18-karat gold toilet by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan is onc again the subject of international attention as it heads to auction. Originally created in 2016 as a provocative commentary on wealth and accessibility titled “America,” the piece gained notoriety after a version was stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019. Now, the remaining toilet – previously owned by billionaire Steve Cohen – is being offered by Sotheby’s, generating important buzz in the art world and beyond.
A fully functional toilet crafted from approximately 101 kilograms of 18-karat gold has become the centerpiece of a high-profile auction.
The starting price for the auction was calculated based on the current price of gold on the day of the sale, according to Sotheby’s.
The value of 101 kilograms of 18-karat gold reached approximately $10 million on Tuesday.
Artist Maurizio Cattelan, 65, created two versions of the toilet in 2016, both titled “America.” One of the installations was previously displayed at the Guggenheim Museum in New York before being stolen in 2019 from Blenheim Palace in England, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, where it was on loan for exhibition.
The second version of the golden toilet was sold to a private collector in 2017 and has now been put up for auction.
According to reports in American media, the buyer is billionaire Steve Cohen, owner of the New York Mets baseball team.
The auction generated significant buzz in the lead-up to the sale and drew considerable anticipation. Cattelan’s work often sparks conversation about art, value, and societal norms.
The auction house confirmed that a prominent American brand was the winning bidder.
Cattelan is known for his unconventional conceptual pieces. Last year, his artwork consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall, titled “Comedian,” sold for $6.2 million in New York.
