Patent ID: 7142942

Claim:
A method of producing a design on or in an exterior surface of a terracotta container using a glass cutting machine; said exterior surface being at least partly covered with a glazing material; and said glass cutting machine being programmable and controlled by a computer operatively connected to said glass cutting machine to cut said design in said container; said method comprising the steps of: inputting said design into said computer; placing a number of containers into said glass cutting machine; activating said glass cutting machine; contacting one of said containers with a cutting tool of said glass cutting machine; cutting said glaze on said exterior surface of said container to remove a portion of said glaze to expose said exterior surface beneath said glaze; continuing cutting said glaze in accordance with said programmed design to produce said design on said container; repeating said steps of contacting and cutting for each of said containers until all containers have said design thereon; and removing said containers from said glass cutting machine.