Art enthusiasts will have the opportunity to acquire a truly unique piece on Tuesday: a solid gold, fully functional toilet created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. This extravagant work of art, weighing 101 kilograms and crafted from 18-karat gold, will be up for auction at Sotheby’s in New York with a starting bid of approximately $10 million.
Cattelan, known for his provocative art installations like “taping a banana to a wall,” once remarked, “Whatever you eat, a $200 lunch or a $2 hot dog, the results are the same, toilet-wise.” Sotheby’s describes the golden toilet as a profound statement on the intersection of artistic creation and commercial value.
This luxurious lavatory, one of two identical toilets made by Cattelan in 2016, was previously owned by an undisclosed collector. The other toilet was famously displayed at the Guggenheim Museum in New York before it was stolen from an exhibition at Blenheim Palace in England, where it was being showcased.
Despite two men being convicted in connection with the theft of the golden toilet, its whereabouts remain unknown. Investigators suspect that the toilet was dismantled and melted down after being stolen.
The opulent toilet, named “America,” was exhibited at Sotheby’s New York headquarters leading up to the auction. This remarkable piece serves as a reminder of the unconventional and boundary-pushing nature of contemporary art.
