When does a toilet become a piece of art? When it’s made of solid gold and flushable, apparently.
An 18-karat gold toilet, a creation by renowned Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was recently sold at a Sotheby’s auction for a whopping $12.1 million, including fees. Appropriately titled “America,” this functional sculpture has captured global attention.
Weighing in at 101.2 kg (about 223 pounds) of pure 18-karat gold, the artwork comes with a certificate of authenticity from Cattelan himself, according to Sotheby’s. Before the auction, the opening bid was estimated to be around $10 million, based on the gold’s market value.
During the auction, the Sotheby’s auctioneer quipped, “Feeling flush?” while awaiting bids. The identity of the buyer remains undisclosed.
The toilet is actually the second edition of “America.” In 2016, another version was exhibited at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, where visitors queued in droves for a chance to use it. This edition was then moved to Blenheim Palace in England, from which it was infamously stolen in 2019. Despite convictions related to the theft, the piece was never recovered. Sotheby’s notes that the piece recently sold is now the only existing edition.
Cattelan is no stranger to controversy and viral fame. His work “Comedian,” a banana attached to a wall with duct tape, caused a sensation in 2019. Last year, Chinese crypto investor Justin Sun acquired the piece for $6.2 million at another Sotheby’s auction. Sun commented at the time on his intention to “personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience.”
However, the golden toilet isn’t even the most expensive Cattelan artwork. In 2016, “Him,” a wax figure of Adolf Hitler kneeling, sold for $17.2 million at a Christie’s auction.
