"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." For gold, it seems, is in fashion at the White House. From the gold bric-a-brac adorning the Oval Office mantelpiece to the gold faucets and fixtures in the newly renovated Lincoln bathroom"
"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."
An 18-carat solid gold toilet by Maurizio Cattelan sold at Sotheby's for $12.1 million, presented as a fully functional sculpture named "America" to comment on excessive wealth. The artist previously created a duct-taped banana that sold for $6.2 million. The gold toilet aligns with an apparent White House preference for gold décor, including mantel ornaments, faucets, fixtures, and signage associated with Donald Trump. Gold has held symbolic value across civilizations for millennia, signaling status, power, and social hierarchy. The oldest known gold, the Varna finds from Bulgaria some 6,500 years ago, and concentrated gold graves in Mapungubwe, indicate long-standing links between gold and elite standing.
Read at www.dw.com
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