Golden toilet sculpture returns to auction for $10 million.

1 day ago7 min read

Hold onto your tiaras, darlings, because the art world is about to get its most glamorous, and frankly, most ridiculous, star back in the spotlight. Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous 18-karat gold toilet, provocatively titled 'America', is making a grand return to the auction block this November at Sotheby’s New York, and the starting bid is a cool $10 million—a figure that, in a deliciously on-the-nose twist, is literally the value of its weight in gold.Can you even? This isn't just a sale; it's a full-blown celebrity comeback, the kind we usually reserve for a pop star dropping a surprise album. For those who need a refresher on this piece's truly iconic run, 'America' was first installed in 2015 at the Guggenheim Museum, where it wasn't just for looking—oh no, honey, it was fully functional.The public was invited to book a three-minute appointment to, ahem, answer nature's call on a throne of solid gold, a move that was either a profound statement on wealth inequality and the excesses of the one percent or the most expensive potty joke in human history, depending on your perspective at the brunch table. The piece instantly became a media sensation, a must-see selfie spot that blurred the lines between high art and pure spectacle in a way that only Cattelan, the art world's premier prankster, could pull off.Its legend only grew in 2019 when it was stolen in a dramatic heist from Blenheim Palace in the UK, a plot point so wild it feels ripped from a *Ocean's Eleven* sequel, and it has never been recovered, adding an aura of mystery and irreplaceable loss to its already hefty provenance. So, this November, Sotheby’s isn't just selling a toilet; it's selling a story, a scandal, and a slice of contemporary art history.The auction house itself is the perfect red carpet for this event, a venue accustomed to handling priceless Picassos and Van Goghs, now preparing to field bids on a lavatory. One can only imagine the conversations in those hallowed halls.The $10 million price tag is a character in itself—it’s not an arbitrary number. By pegging the opening bid directly to the melt value of the gold, Cattelan and the auctioneers are forcing a confrontation with the most basic question of value: is this art, or is it just a very, very expensive commodity? It’s a question that echoes through the entire contemporary art market, where perception, celebrity, and narrative often outweigh traditional notions of aesthetic beauty.Who will be the lucky bidder? Speculation is, of course, half the fun. Will it be a tech billionaire from Silicon Valley looking for the ultimate conversation starter for their minimalist mansion? A crypto mogul wanting to make a literal statement about solid assets? Or perhaps a private museum in the Middle East aiming to crown its collection with the ultimate piece of pop-art provocation? Whoever wins the gavel will be purchasing more than an object; they will be buying into a legacy of controversy, a symbol of our times that is at once absurd, critical, and utterly unforgettable. As the art glitterati gather in New York this fall, all eyes will be on this golden throne, a testament to the fact that in today's world, sometimes the most powerful statements aren't made on a canvas, but are quite literally flushed into existence.

#featured

#Maurizio Cattelan

#America

#golden toilet

#art auction

#Sotheby's

#contemporary art

#sculpture

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