Gender differences in hammer prices for Australian Indigenous art

Considering leading Australian Indigenous artists, we investigate the role of an artist's gender in the valuation of artworks. Our analysis shows that male and female artists work in different media and mediums and that both sale price and clearance rate differ by artist's gender. Building on a descriptive analysis, the statistical analysis of the data using sample selectivity models and a Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition shows clear differences between the prices of artwork. We find that, accounting for differences in the characteristics of artworks and artists, the price of artworks by male Australian Indigenous artists is lower than that by female artists.