Maurizio Cattelan's 18-karat gold toilet sculpture, *America* (2016), sold at Sotheby's New York for $12.1 million to Ripley's Believe It or Not!, the entertainment franchise known for oddities. The work, consigned by hedge-fund manager Steve Cohen, was auctioned from the Breuer Building and drew long viewing lines. Despite a playful bidding process led by auctioneer Phyllis Kao, the final price fell short of Cattelan's auction record of $17.2 million set by *Him* (2001) at Christie's in 2016.
The sale matters because it underscores the enduring market for provocative conceptual art and the blurring of high art and popular entertainment. Ripley's acquisition positions *America* as the most valuable object in its collection, highlighting how institutional boundaries are shifting. The work's modest result relative to expectations also reflects the volatility of the contemporary art market, even for iconic pieces by blue-chip artists like Cattelan.