WOODSTOCK, England — Just before 5 a.m. on Sept. 14, a fully-functioning toilet made of 18-karat gold was stolen from an art exhibition at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill.

There has been no trace of it since.

The police are still looking for the missing john — an artwork called “America” by Maurizio Cattelan — but, so far, they remain empty-handed. A spokesman for the force carrying out the investigation, Thames Valley Police, declined to discuss the case , except to confirm that six people had been arrested in connection with the theft, only to be released later without charge.

The police may not know what has happened to the toilet, but residents of Woodstock, a town near the palace, have plenty of theo ries.