World’s Priciest Toilet: $10M Gold Throne Up for Sale

A toilet made of solid gold — yes, real 18-karat gold — is heading to the auction block, and it’s already making headlines around the world. Sotheby’s announced that it will auction Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s glittering sculpture “America” on November 18 in New York.

Weighing over 101 kilograms (223 pounds), the functional lavatory will start at a base price equal to its gold value — roughly $10 million at current market rates. But with Cattelan’s reputation for turning the ordinary into provocative art, the final hammer price could soar much higher.

The Golden Statement

Cattelan’s “America” isn’t just about opulence — it’s a biting satire on excess and inequality. “Whatever you eat, a $200 lunch or a $2 hot dog, the results are the same,” the artist once quipped, summarizing the artwork’s commentary on wealth and consumption.

Two versions of the sculpture were created in 2016. One has been in private hands since 2017, while the other gained global fame — and notoriety — after being stolen from England’s Blenheim Palace in 2019. That version has never been recovered and is believed to have been melted down for its gold.

From Guggenheim to Blenheim — and Now Sotheby’s

When first displayed at New York’s Guggenheim Museum, visitors could actually book a three-minute session to use the gold toilet, making it one of the most talked-about installations in modern art. Later, the museum even offered it to then-President Donald Trump after the White House requested to borrow a Van Gogh painting — an offer that was never accepted.

After its infamous heist in the UK, “America” became a symbol of how art, value, and absurdity often collide. Now, with Sotheby’s showcasing it again — this time behind ropes — visitors can look, admire, and maybe imagine sitting on history’s most extravagant seat, but no one will be allowed to flush.

Back in the Spotlight

From a banana taped to a wall to a gold-plated toilet, Cattelan has never shied away from challenging what art means — or what it’s worth. With “America” back on public display at Sotheby’s Breuer Building from November 8, the world’s most valuable toilet is once again set to test the limits of taste, value, and imagination.