A Throne Like No Other
In 2016, Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan unveiled America, a fully functional toilet made entirely of 18-karat gold. Weighing over 100 kilograms and valued at more than $4 million in gold alone, the artwork was created for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Visitors waited in long lines to use it, and over 100,000 people eventually did. Installed in a regular restroom with a special cleaning routine, America was presented as an interactive piece. In 2017, when the White House requested a loan of a Van Gogh painting, the museum instead offered America. No response was reported.
A Palace, a Toilet, and a Theft
In September 2019, America was loaned to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England, for a Cattelan exhibition. Installed in a lavatory once used by Winston Churchill, the toilet was plumbed into the palace’s system.
On the night of September 14, thieves removed it, causing extensive flooding and structural damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Because it was fully functional and connected to pipes, security had been minimal. The theft triggered international headlines and speculation over how such a heavy object could have been taken so quickly.
Criminal Charges and Courtroom Drama
The investigation led to multiple arrests. In November 2023, four men were charged. By April 2024, one of them, James Sheen, already serving a 17-year sentence for unrelated thefts, pleaded guilty.
In March 2025, two others—Michael Jones and Frederick Doe—were convicted for their roles in planning the theft and selling the gold. A fourth suspect was acquitted. Authorities concluded the toilet had likely been broken up or melted down shortly after the robbery.
Aftermath and Echoes
Despite a reward of up to $124,000 offered by Blenheim Palace’s insurer, the toilet was never recovered. Local imitations of the artwork appeared, with one even being stolen itself. Cattelan confirmed he had created three gold toilets.
Other gold toilets have been known in history, including those at Bayan Palace in Kuwait and in Hong Kong installations. But none achieved the global attention of America, which began as an unusual museum exhibit and ended as the centerpiece of one of the most peculiar art thefts in recent history.
In 2016, an 18-karat gold toilet called America was unveiled by artist Maurizio Cattelan.
By 2019, it was stolen from Blenheim Palace in England.
Valued at millions, the fully working toilet vanished overnight, leaving behind flooding, headlines, and unanswered questions.🧵 pic.twitter.com/ERt9AVZmHL
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) July 4, 2025