Why did Chinese ivory-carving quality decline after the fall of the Qing dynasty?

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Inupiat shaman's figure. — ivory carving Kinugumiut Inupiat incised walrus ivory shaman's figure, c. 1890; in the National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center, Smithsonian Institution, New York City.

The decline in the quality of Chinese ivory carving following the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912 was primarily driven by the loss of Imperial patronage.1

For centuries, ivory carving flourished under the support of the imperial court, which fostered a tradition of fine craftsmanship in centers such as Beijing and Guangzhou. Following the collapse of the dynasty, the industry shifted its focus toward supplying utilitarian objects—such as canes and card cases—to foreign residents and tourists. Because these new buyers were generally not discriminating, the quality of the work, which had already begun to deteriorate after the mid-19th century, declined at an accelerating pace.1