Maurizio Cattelan’s 101-kilogram, 18-karat gold toilet titled “America” sold for $12.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on Tuesday.
The artwork, created in 2016 as a satire of extreme wealth, had an opening bid of around $10 million.
One of two versions made by the Italian artist, the other was previously displayed at the Guggenheim Museum before being stolen from Blenheim Palace in England.
Investigators believe the missing toilet was likely melted down. The auctioned piece had been exhibited at Sotheby’s ahead of the sale.