An Italian artist’s fully functional toilet made out of 18-karat gold was sold by Sotheby’s at auction for $12.1 million on Tuesday.
The toilet, first made in 2016, is one of three produced by Maurizio Cattelan, 65.
The golden artwork was first displayed at the Marian Goodman Gallery in New York before being acquired by its previous owner, New York Mets boss Steve Cohen, in 2017, per the Sotheby’s lot listing.
Sotheby’s did not name the latest owner in the lot listing for “America,” but the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! franchise announced on social media Wednesday that it was the one that ponied up the cash.
“Ripley’s has purchased the only fully fabricated edition of the golden throne still known to exist. … Ripley’s plans to display the sculpture in all its glory, giving guests the chance to get up close to the world’s most extravagant restroom fixture,” Ripley’s said, adding that it was investigating the possibility of guests using the toilet. The franchise has multiple locations.
A previous edition of “America” was once displayed and used at New York’s Guggenheim Museum and was stolen from the U.K.’s Blenheim Palace, according to ARTnews.
Mr. Cattelan is also known for a piece titled “Comedian,” which was a banana duct-taped to a wall.
A third edition of the work was sold by Sotheby’s in 2024 for $6.24 million. The buyer, cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun, subsequently ate the fruit, according to The Associated Press.
