Multi-Million Dollar Golden Toilet Makes Auction History
In what might be the most extravagant bathroom fixture ever created, a fully functional toilet made entirely of 18-karat gold has sold for an astonishing $12.1 million (approximately ₹1070.92 crore) at a Sotheby's auction. The remarkable sale took place on November 18, 2025, showcasing the extraordinary value placed on conceptual art in today's market.
The artwork, titled "America" by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, weighs an impressive 101.2 kilograms and represents one of the most provocative and discussed art pieces of recent times. The bidding for this unique sculpture began at approximately $10 million, a figure calculated based on the current market value of the gold used in its creation on the day of the auction.
The Journey of an Unconventional Masterpiece
This particular edition of Cattelan's golden toilet previously belonged to a private collector who had acquired it back in 2017 from the Marian Goodman Gallery in New York. What makes this artwork particularly notable is its fully functional nature - it's not just a sculpture but an actual working toilet that visitors could use.
Another edition of this controversial piece gained international fame when it was installed at the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2016. Museum visitors could actually use the luxury fixture, often resulting in long queues of people waiting both to witness and experience the artwork firsthand.
The toilet's history took an even more dramatic turn when the Guggenheim Museum, in a now-famous incident, reportedly offered to lend the golden toilet to US President Donald Trump after he had requested to borrow a Vincent van Gogh painting from the museum's collection.
Theft and Mysterious Disappearance
In 2019, the artwork was moved to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England, where it met with an unfortunate fate. The golden toilet was stolen from the historic palace, leading to a criminal investigation that resulted in two people being convicted for the robbery earlier this year.
Despite the convictions, the stolen toilet was never recovered. Authorities and art experts believe that the thieves likely melted down the artwork for its substantial gold content, destroying the conceptual piece for its raw material value. This ironic end added another layer to the artwork's commentary on value and perception.
Cattelan's History of Provocative Art
Maurizio Cattelan has built his career on creating satirical and thought-provoking artworks that challenge conventional notions of art and value. His previous works that have captured global attention include:
- Comedian (2019): A banana duct-taped to a wall that sold for $6.2 million at a Sotheby's auction last year
- Hitler Kneeling (2016): A wax figure of Adolf Hitler kneeling that sold for $17.2 million at a Christie's auction
According to Sotheby's website, "America" follows in the conceptual footsteps of Marcel Duchamp's famous "Fountain" and has been "championed, scandalised and credited with fostering a revolutionary discourse on what art should mean and what that meaning is worth."
The extraordinary sale price of $12.1 million for a functional toilet made of gold continues Cattelan's tradition of creating works that force viewers to question the very nature of art, value, and luxury in contemporary society.
