Gold Toilet America Sells for $12.1M at Sotheby’s Auction in New York

New York, Nov 19, 2025: A solid gold, fully functional toilet titled “America” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan sold for a staggering $12.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on Tuesday, cementing its place as one of the most talked-about pieces in modern art. The sale coincided with Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer, which fetched a record $236 million, setting a new high for modern art at auction.

The 101-kilogram (223-pound), 18-karat-gold toilet had a starting bid of $10 million and immediately drew attention for its provocative statement on wealth and societal excess. Cattelan, known for challenging artistic norms with pieces such as his banana installation, described “America” as a satirical take on superwealth. “Whatever you eat, a $200 lunch or a $2 hot dog, the results are the same, toilet-wise,” the artist once remarked, highlighting the piece’s playful yet biting social commentary.

Sotheby’s described the piece as “an incisive commentary on the collision of artistic production and commodity value,” pointing to the dual nature of art as both a cultural symbol and a commodity. The toilet had been owned by a private collector, and it is one of only two created by Cattelan in 2016. The other was displayed at New York’s Guggenheim Museum and infamously offered to US President Donald Trump during a loan request for a Van Gogh painting.

The work’s history is colorful: one of the original toilets was stolen during an exhibition in England at Blenheim Palace, Churchill’s birthplace. Though two men were convicted in connection with the theft, the stolen toilet’s fate remains unclear, though experts believe it may have been melted down.

The auctioning of “America” came after weeks of public exhibition at Sotheby’s New York headquarters, allowing art enthusiasts, collectors, and critics to view the work before bidding. The record-breaking sale reflects a broader trend of high-value, controversial art capturing global attention and pushing discussions around the role of satire, luxury, and social commentary in contemporary art.

Maurizio Cattelan, whose works often provoke debate, has once again demonstrated that his art extends beyond visual appeal, sparking conversations about society, consumption, and the extremes of wealth. With “America” now in private hands, the piece is likely to continue making headlines for years to come.

This sale, alongside Klimt’s record-setting portrait, underscores New York’s Sotheby’s as a premier venue for high-profile art sales, merging historical masterpieces with modern provocations in an auction market increasingly defined by attention-grabbing statements and extraordinary valuations.