Sotheby’s to Auction Maurizio Cattelan’s Infamous Gold Toilet “America” — Starting Bid Tied to Gold’s Weight

In a move that merges art, satire, and market spectacle, Sotheby’s announced on October 31 that it will auction Maurizio Cattelan’s notorious 18-karat solid gold toilet, America, on November 18 with a starting bid of approximately $10 million — a figure determined by the sculpture’s literal weight in gold. The 101.2-kilogram piece represents the only surviving edition of Cattelan’s gleaming provocation, making it one of the most anticipated lots of the fall auction season.

The toilet will be displayed from November 8 at Sotheby’s new Breuer Building headquarters in New York, installed — appropriately — in a functioning restroom. However, unlike its first appearance nearly a decade ago, visitors will only be permitted to view the piece, not use it.

“We don’t want people sitting on the art,” said David Galperin, Sotheby’s head of contemporary art.

A Provocative Legacy Built on Public Use — and Theft

When America debuted at New York’s Guggenheim Museum in 2016, it instantly became a global phenomenon. The fully plumbed, fully functional toilet offered what the museum described as “unprecedented intimacy with a work of art,” allowing more than 100,000 visitors to book three-minute private appointments to use it.

Cattelan’s biting commentary on wealth, power, and privilege struck a nerve — equal parts absurdist humor and political critique. The piece symbolized the promise and illusion of the “American dream,” rendered in pure gold.

The work’s infamy grew even further in 2019, when another edition was stolen from Blenheim Palace, Winston Churchill’s birthplace, in an overnight heist that caused flooding and damage to the historic estate. Despite multiple arrests and two recent convictions, the sculpture has never been recovered and is widely believed to have been melted down for its estimated £4.8 million in gold.

A Gold Standard for the Art Market

This upcoming auction marks a milestone in both the art and commodities worlds. Sotheby’s decision to tie the starting bid to gold’s real-time market value introduces a new dynamic — one that could see the opening price fluctuate right up until bidding begins.

With gold prices soaring more than 50% in 2025 and global demand reaching a record 1,313 metric tons in the third quarter alone, America arrives at a moment when the precious metal has regained its symbolic and financial luster. The convergence of material and conceptual value may well set a precedent for future auctions.

If the bidding frenzy matches expectations, America could surpass Cattelan’s current auction record of $17.2 million, set by his haunting 2016 sculpture Him — a kneeling figure of Adolf Hitler in prayer. The sale also follows the artist’s viral success with Comedian — the banana duct-taped to a wall — which fetched $6.2 million at Sotheby’s last year, four times its high estimate.

“America” Returns — As Satire, Commodity, and Mirror

Cattelan, known for blurring the lines between irony and critique, once called America “a 1% art for the 99%.” Its reemergence in the art market feels both inevitable and deeply reflective of the times — a convergence of spectacle, scarcity, and symbolism that transforms a bathroom fixture into a mirror of our collective obsessions.

As Sotheby’s prepares to raise the lid on one of contemporary art’s most infamous works, one question lingers:
Is the world ready to bid — again — on the price of its own reflection?