Home / Arts and Entertainment / Golden Toilet Fetches $12.1M After Heist
Golden Toilet Fetches $12.1M After Heist
19 Nov
Summary
- A solid gold toilet sold for $12.1 million at auction.
- The artwork was stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019.
- The buyer is a famous American brand, Sotheby's revealed.
An 18-carat solid gold toilet, an artwork named 'America' by Maurizio Cattelan, has achieved $12.1 million at a Sotheby's auction. This functional piece, weighing over 101 kg, was previously stolen in a high-profile heist from Blenheim Palace in September 2019. The theft and subsequent trial garnered significant international attention.
The auction house set the initial bid at the approximate value of the gold, around $10 million. The second version of the golden toilet was on display at the Guggenheim Museum before its exhibition at Blenheim Palace, where it was used by over 100,000 people.
Sotheby's described the artwork as a 'cultural phenomenon' and a commentary on art's commodity value. The buyer has been identified as a famous American brand, making this sale the second highest price achieved for a Cattelan piece at auction, following his Hitler sculpture.
