LONDON (AP) — Four men were charged Monday over the theft of an 18-carat gold toilet from Blenheim Palace, the sprawling English country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born.
The toilet, valued at 4.8 million pounds ($5.95 million), was an artwork titled “America” and intended as a pointed satire about excessive wealth by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan.
It was part of an art installation at Blenheim Palace, near the city of Oxford, a few days before it vanished overnight in September 2019.
The Crown Prosecution Service said Monday it has authorized criminal charges against four men, ages 35-39, over the theft.
The golden toilet was fully functioning, and prior to the theft, visitors to the exhibition could book a three-minute appointment to use it.
Persons:
Winston Churchill, Maurizio Cattelan, ”, Will, Matthew Barber
Organizations:
Crown Prosecution Service, Police, UNESCO, Guggenheim Museum, Thames Valley Police, BBC, Oxford, ’
Locations:
Blenheim, Oxford, New York