We’ve all got a porcelain throne at home, which we visit several times a day – some more than others… but, imagine planting your keister on pure, 18-karat gold toilet. Sounds pretty nice, right? That’s what some goons in the UK thought too, back in 2019.
In the early morning hours of September 14, 2019, three men broke into Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England and stole the royal chamber pot. Now, you may be wondering, why in the world would someone want a gold toilet? My question to you is – why not?
Turns out, this fully-functional “loo” was designed by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, who titled the piece “America”. The precious potty first gained notoriety in 2016 when it was on display at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. It then traveled across the pond and made its way to Blenheim Palace.
On September 14, the men broke into the palace and used sledgehammers and crowbars to steal the toilet. The police got a whiff of the suspects a few days later and all were arrested.
James Sheen was convicted of theft and sentenced to four years in prison, Michael Jones was convicted of burglary and received a two-year sentence and Frederick Doe was found guilty of conspiracy to convert or transfer criminal property and was sentenced to two years.
You may be wondering what happened to the toilet? That remains a mystery. The golden throne was never seen again. It’s suspected the band of thieves dismantled the toilet and sold it off in parts. So, keep your eyes – and nose – peeled if you come across any suspicious gold pieces, because, you may just hold a piece of the $6 million golden toilet.
This article contains information sourced from:
http://npr.org “UK court finds men who stole $6 million gold toilet guilty”
http://artnews.com “Two men sentenced for Stealing Maurizio Cattelan’s Golden Toilet in England”
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