According to the overseas edition of the people's daily, a theft occurred at Churchill Manor (Blenheim Palace) in Oxfordshire, England, on the 14th local time, in which an 18K pure gold toilet worth $1.25 million was stolen. According to the associated press and CNN, the stolen golden toilet is called 'America', written by Italian artist morigio & bull; Maurizio Cattelan.
Cbsnews reported that the golden toilet is part of the ongoing exhibition at Churchill manor, which is worth about $1.25 million (about 8.847 million yuan). At 4:57 a.m. local time on Saturday (14th), the local police received a report of the theft of the golden toilet. It is reported that the thieves broke into the manor in the early morning and left the scene of the crime at about 4:50. It is reported that the thieves used at least two cars to steal it.
Police said that because the toilet was connected to the pipeline system of Buckingham Palace, the removal of the toilet caused 'serious damage and ponding' to Buckingham Palace. Police have arrested a 66 year old man involved, but the stolen gold toilet has not been found.
'after Churchill's family showed little concern about security, a million pound gold toilet was stolen from Blenheim Palace.' According to the independent on the 15th, there was a theft at britham palace, known as Churchill's manor. An 18K pure gold toilet was stolen 'overnight' by a gang of thieves. British police said: 'many thieves broke into Blenheim Palace late at night and left the scene at 4:50 a.m. on the 14th. There were no casualties in the robbery.' At present, the police have arrested a 66 year old suspect and are actively searching for the toilet and the whereabouts of the suspect's accomplices.
The golden toilet, made by Italian artist Cartland, was exhibited opposite Churchill's birth room in Blenheim Palace on the 12th, the Guardian reported on the 15th. Admission to the exhibition is 27 pounds. The gold toilet on display has complete functions and can be used for toilet or self photographing. However, visitors must make an appointment in advance. The museum also stipulates that each visitor can only use it for 3 minutes. The guardian art critic Jones described the experience as' like peeing on Porcelain & hellip& hellip; Looking at the pictures of young Churchill hanging around, it feels like peeing on British history '. In a statement, Milne, the inspector in charge of investigating the case, said that because the toilet had been connected to the water pipe, the theft caused serious damage, and the leakage led to "water flooding the Golden Mountain". The "criminal gang brought at least two cars and made a mess of the scene."
Blenheim Palace was built in 1705 in Oxfordshire, England. It is listed as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO. Former British Prime Minister Churchill was born here in 1874. Blenheim Palace displays many precious works of art and furniture, and art exhibitions and other activities will be held from time to time. Edward & middot, founder of Blenheim Palace Art Foundation; Spencer Churchill reassured the media last month that he was not worried about the safety of the gold toilet, saying it was "not so easy to be stolen", because it was not a simple exhibition, but a "real toilet" with water pipes connected and available for visitors. The thief will be worried because he doesn't know what the last person using the toilet ate, so he doesn't plan to take strict security measures for the golden toilet. The independent said that this statement may have attracted thieves, and the police declined to comment. Branim palace spokesman said that at present, many tourists want to enjoy this masterpiece. It is a great pity that such a precious art was stolen.
According to the New York Times reported on the 14th, the toilet, named 'United States', weighs between 70 pounds and 120 pounds (about 64 pounds to 109 pounds) and costs up to 1 million pounds (about 8.84 million yuan). Pietta, a precious metal dealer who has bought and sold gold for nearly 50 years, said that the current price of pure gold is close to $1500 per troy ounce, and the purity of 18K gold is 75%. According to his calculation, if the 'gold toilet' is melted, the value will exceed $4 million, 'this is a very valuable toilet. If thieves have gold smelting equipment, the toilet can melt into gold bars in a few days.'
According to the Washington Post, the golden toilet 'America' was exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum in New York for the first time in 2016. Visitors lined up just to experience the feeling of toileting on the toilet. Relevant statistics show that since it was exhibited in 2016, the gold toilet has been used more than 100000 times and needs to be cleaned every 15 minutes. In 2017, the "golden toilet" was famous for us president trump. It is said that at that time, the White House requested the Guggenheim Museum to borrow a van Gogh work to decorate Trump's office through e-mail, which was rejected by the museum. The museum proposed an alternative plan and agreed to lend the 'golden toilet' to the White House, but the toilet failed to win the favor of the White House in the end.
Some analysts believe that the meaning symbolized by the 'golden toilet' is a mockery of 'extreme wealth'. Designer catland previously told the new Yorker that no matter what you eat, a $200 lunch or a $2 hot dog, the result is the same in the toilet. Edward & middot; Spencer Churchill said in the exhibition statement that Cartland's works are always shocking, and the golden toilet can be regarded as an interpretation of American social, political and economic differences.