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2h ago

Cattelan’s 18-Karat Gold Toilet Sells for $12.1 Million at Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s identified the buyer only as a “famous American brand,” signaling how the work’s gold content has become central to its valuation.

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Overview

  • The artwork, titled “America,” is a fully functional toilet crafted in 18-karat gold and was first installed for public use at the Guggenheim Museum in 2016.
  • The New York auction concluded Tuesday after pre-sale expectations emphasized gold’s surge as a key driver of price rather than the piece’s conceptual provocation.
  • Weighing roughly 100 kilograms, the object carries an intrinsic material value estimated in the low millions, separate from its art-market premium.
  • A second edition loaned to Blenheim Palace in 2019 was stolen and has never been recovered, with investigators suggesting it may have been melted down.
  • Another version changed hands privately in 2017 to a collector reported by U.S. media as Steve Cohen, underscoring the work’s layered provenance and opaque ownership.