Art often surprises people, but few pieces have sparked as much curiosity and conversation as an 18-carat gold toilet. Recently, this unusual creation—fully functional and gleaming with luxury—was sold for an astonishing $12.1 million. The artwork, titled America and designed by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, has once again captured global attention, especially because its first version mysteriously disappeared after being stolen in 2019.
Cattelan, known for his playful and provocative ideas, is the same artist who once taped a banana to a gallery wall and called it art. With America, he uses humour to make a point about wealth and excess. He has often joked that no matter how expensive your meal is, the end result is the same—a cheeky reminder of how absurd the world of luxury can be. Weighing around 101 kilograms and crafted in solid gold, the toilet began its auction journey with a starting bid of roughly $10 million before being acquired by Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Art experts at Sotheby’s described the piece as a witty comment on how money influences modern art. The golden toilet on sale belonged to a private collector and was displayed at Sotheby’s in New York ahead of the much-talked-about auction.
Back in 2016, Cattelan created two identical toilets. One became famous during its display at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, which once offered it to former president Donald Trump instead of a Van Gogh he had requested. That same toilet was later stolen from England’s Blenheim Palace. Although two people were convicted in the case, the artwork was never found, and investigators believe it was likely melted down.
Now, with the second toilet finding a new home and a new wave of attention, Cattelan’s satirical masterpiece continues to remind people how closely art, humour, and commentary on wealth can merge into something unforgettable.
