CA, US & World
Gold Toilet Sculpture by Maurizio Cattelan to Hit Sotheby’s Auction Block for $10 Million
One of the most infamous pieces of modern art — a fully functional, 18-karat solid gold toilet titled “America” by artist Maurizio Cattelan — is heading to auction at Sotheby’s in New York next month, with an expected starting bid of around $10 million.
The 220-pound sculpture first captured global attention in 2016, when it was installed in the Guggenheim Museum’s restroom, where visitors could actually use it. Three years later, it was stolen from Blenheim Palace in England — Winston Churchill’s birthplace — in a five-minute heist that left investigators baffled. Though the suspects were later convicted, the original piece was never recovered and is believed to have been melted down.
Cattelan, known for his provocative and satirical works, has stated that multiple editions of “America” exist. The edition going up for auction has been privately held since 2017 and will be displayed in Sotheby’s newly renovated headquarters — installed in a restroom, fittingly enough, but this time off-limits to visitors.
Sotheby’s head of contemporary art, David Galperin, said the starting bid will be tied to the sculpture’s actual gold value at the time of auction. “It’s a way to lean into the very essence of the conceptual basis behind the artwork,” Galperin said, noting how it challenges ideas of artistic versus material worth.
Cattelan’s creation has been described as both a biting critique of wealth and power and a continuation of art history’s tradition of provocation, echoing Marcel Duchamp’s 1917 piece “Fountain.” The Italian artist, who also created the viral “banana-on-a-wall” piece “Comedian,” continues to blur the lines between absurdity, value, and meaning in contemporary art.
Whether seen as satire, social commentary, or high art, “America” remains one of the most recognizable and controversial sculptures of the 21st century — a gilded reflection of culture’s obsession with status and spectacle.
Credit: CNN Newsource
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October 31, 2025
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