WATCH | Bottom falls out of Blenheim's world as arty-farty treasure is nicked

A solid gold toilet artwork has been stolen from an exhibition at England's Blenheim Palace.

The artwork, reportedly worth $5 million (about R73.9m) was part of a solo exhibition by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan titled Victory is Not an Option, which opened last Thursday and was set to run until October 27.

According to Blenheim Palace, the artwork was stolen at the historic Oxfordshire house in the early hours of September 14.

“We are saddened by this extraordinary event but also relieved no one was hurt,” said Blenheim Palace. “We are grateful to our staff and to Thames Valley Police for their rapid and brave reactions.”

The Thames Valley Police said said that because the toilet was hooked up to plumbing, when it was stolen it “caused significant damage and flooding”.

A 66-year-old man has been arrested and remains in police custody. However, the stolen toilet is yet to be recovered.

“The artwork has not been recovered at this time but we are conducting a thorough investigation to find it and bring those responsible to justice.”