If I drop something delicate, why does it break?

yes, porcelain is very solid but not very flexible so it shatters where it can't bend.Wood can be very flexible, not too solid but flexible this is why wood can be carved and porcelain can not. also stone carving is very different from wood carving wood carving is done by scrapping, stone carving is done by chipping, because stone and porcelain is brittle and wood is not.