GAME OF THRONES

One hundred kilogrammes of solid gold and a hookup to the sewers. A shiny toilet is the new darling of the auction season.

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Maurizio Cattelan's America at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, in 2017.

(PHOTO: REUTERS)

Sotheby's announced last week that it would offer a toilet made from 18-carat gold by artist Maurizio Cattelan — the same prankster responsible for the duct-taped banana from 2024 that sold for US$6.2 million to a crypto financier.

Cattelan created the golden throne in 2016 as one of two editions of an artwork called America. Bidding will start in the region of $10 million, or whatever the price of gold is a few hours before the auction starts on Nov 18 at Sotheby’s new headquarters in the Breuer building on Madison Avenue in New York City.

“I would reject the idea that this is just pure spectacle,” David Galperin, vice-chair and head of contemporary art at Sotheby’s, said in an interview. “Cattelan for me is one of the greatest artists of our generation and this is one of his most iconic works.”

This version of the commode was sold to a private collector by the Marian Goodman Gallery in 2017.