The Path of Virtue: The Illustrated Tao Te Ching presents the classic Chinese text, as translated by James Legge, alongside elegant drawings, paintings, and sculptures from the extensive collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Composed in the 6th century bc by Lao Tzu, a sage and recordkeeper in the Zhou court, the Tao Te Ching was originally the basis of Taoist philosophy, later adopted by Chinese Buddhists as a complement to their basic religious tenets. It is now referred to as a handbook for political and business strategy, as well as a practical guide for daily life. Legge's rendering, one of the most poetic translations in English, is accompanied by artwork with Taoist themes and bound in a three-piece case with gilding and a ribbon--truly a volume to be contemplated and admired.