"A toilet is making headlines. The reason? It's made of solid 18-carat gold and is being auctioned at Sotheby's on November 18, with a starting bid of around $10 million (8.6 miilion). The fully functional toilet was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan also known for his duct-taped banana, which sold for $6.2 million at auction in 2024. Described as a commentary on excessive wealth, the artwork's name is also fitting for the current US president: "America.""
"While his style choices are questionable, his apparent obsession with gold has deep historic and cultural roots. Gold has fascinated the world for millennia. Every civilization across time and place has valued it in some form or another, imbuing it with special significance and power. An ancient obsession The oldest gold findings date back some 6,500 years. Known as the "Varna gold," they were uncovered in 1972 in Bulgaria at a burial site."
A solid 18-carat gold toilet by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan is being auctioned at Sotheby's on November 18 with a starting bid near $10 million. The fully functional piece, whose creator also made the duct-taped banana, is described as a commentary on excessive wealth and carries the title "America." The work is linked to a contemporary vogue for gold in the White House, from mantelpiece ornaments to fixtures. Gold has held special significance across civilizations for millennia, with the oldest known finds, the Varna gold, dating back about 6,500 years and indicating early social hierarchies.
Read at www.dw.com
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