Gold Toilet "America" Sells for $12.1 Million While Klimt Portrait Sets $236 Million Modern Art Record

Nov 19, 2025 02:50 pm CST

A solid gold functional toilet titled "America" by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan sold for $12.1 million at Sotheby's New York auction, where Gustav Klimt's portrait also broke records at $236 million. The 18-karat gold commode weighing 223 pounds serves as satirical commentary on extreme wealth, continuing to fascinate the art world after its counterpart was infamously stolen from Blenheim Palace.