Sotheby’s Auctions Solid Gold Toilet ‘America’ Starting at $10 Million

Sotheby’s will auction Maurizio Cattelan’s fully functional, solid-gold toilet sculpture "America" in New York on November 18.

“Sotheby’s has announced it will auction a solid gold toilet, a sculpture by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan called “America”

ABC

The starting bid is pegged to the metal’s value at about $10 million.

ABC

Reports consistently note its weight—just over 101 kilograms (about 223 pounds) of 18-karat gold—and frame the piece as a satire of excessive wealth and a commentary on where art meets commodity value.

The work will be on view in New York from November 8 until the sale.

Multiple outlets stress that while it can function as a toilet, visitors will not be allowed to use it during the preview.

Coverage also underscores the piece’s notoriety, amplified by the 2019 theft of a similar edition from Blenheim Palace in the UK.

Created in 2016, “America” exists in multiple accounts as two editions: one long held by a private collector and another shown at the Guggenheim.

Several sources say the stolen Blenheim Palace version has never been recovered and is believed destroyed or melted, which aligns with The Art Newspaper’s description of the auctioned piece as the “only surviving edition.”

CNA

Others, however, still refer to the work in terms of two versions created in 2016, underscoring lingering ambiguity about the fate of the stolen edition.

The work’s notoriety stems from both its public accessibility and its heist.

“LONDON (AP) — For sale: The world’s most valuable toilet, a lavatory literally worth its weight in gold”

Daily Sitka Sentinel

At the Guggenheim, “America” drew more than 100,000 visitors and could be used, a deliberate provocation about wealth and equality.

The museum even offered it to President Trump when he requested a Van Gogh.

In contrast, the Sotheby’s preview will be strictly look-but-don’t-use.

The Blenheim Palace theft in 2019—burglars forcibly removed the plumbed-in fixture—cemented the legend around the piece.

Authorities and media have since reported it was never recovered and is widely believed destroyed.

Valuation and market positioning are central to the story.

Multiple outlets say the estimate aligns with the gold content—about $10 million—yet Sotheby’s frames the lot as a rare convergence of raw material value and provocative concept.

Indulgexpress

Some reports note it could set a new auction high for Cattelan.

There is disagreement on the benchmark: while several outlets cite Cattelan’s Hitler-themed “Him” selling for $17.2 million, The Art Newspaper pegs his auction record at $15.2 million, indicating inconsistency in reported records.

Thenationalnews adds a transactional twist: Sotheby’s will accept cryptocurrency, and the starting bid will track the current price of gold.

Media portrayals differ based on the type of source.

“Jill Lawless Associated Press Sothebys has announced it will auction a solid gold toilet, a sculpture by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan called America”

News4JAX

Western mainstream outlets such as ABC and Newser emphasize satire and cultural commentary, including notable anecdotes like the Guggenheim offering the artwork to President Trump.

News4JAX

Local Western sources, including The Daily Gazette and News4JAX, concentrate on logistical details such as preview dates, starting price linked to gold, and the unrecovered status of the stolen edition.

Asian outlets like CNA, The Business Standard, and Indulgexpress highlight technical specifications, mentioning the weight of around 101 kg and 18-karat gold, and sometimes use superlatives like 'world’s most valuable lavatory.'

Western alternative media, for example thenationalnews, focus on market mechanics and payment options such as cryptocurrency.

Other art-industry media, including The Art Newspaper, provide institutional details like the Breuer Building venue and the claim of the 'only surviving edition.'

One local Western outlet, WSLS, did not carry any usable story text, illustrating uneven coverage across regional outlets.