Golden Toilet Sells for $12.1 Million at Auction
A golden toilet, created by the controversial artist known for duct-taping bananas to walls, fetched an astonishing $12.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction on Tuesday.
This 223-pound piece, titled “America” by Maurizio Cattelan, is made of 18-carat gold and had an opening bid of $10 million, reflecting the current value of gold.
The artwork functions like a regular toilet and was previously showcased at Sotheby’s in New York, where it was available for public viewing before the auction. Cattelan described the piece as a satire on America’s immense wealth, stating, “It doesn’t matter what you eat, whether it’s a $200 lunch or a $2 hot dog, the result is the same when it comes to the toilet.”
He further explained that he aimed to place valuable items “not in the most noble places, but in the most necessary places,” highlighting the relationship between high art and everyday utility.
Sotheby’s referred to this piece as “an incisive commentary on the collision of artistic production and commercial value.” Thankfully, during its exhibition, visitors were not allowed to use the toilet—even though they had previously been invited to suggest names for it. “We don’t want people sitting on the art,” Sotheby’s expert David Galperin remarked.
Prior to the auction, the golden toilet belonged to an anonymous collector, and Cattelan originally created two works in 2016, with one exhibited briefly at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. When the Guggenheim had possession of the toilet, they humorously offered to lend it to President Trump after he requested a Van Gogh painting.
This piece was moved from New York to England, taking its place at Blenheim Palace, before being stolen. Two men were convicted for the theft, but the toilet has never been recovered. Authorities speculate it might have been melted down, similar to stolen jewelry from the Louvre.
Cattelan’s past work includes “The Comedian,” a banana taped to a wall that became a cultural phenomenon, selling for $6 million. However, it required multiple reproductions as the bananas either rotted or were taken by mischievous viewers.
