two matchless things; two matchless people
Refers to two outstanding, peerless entities (people, works, etc.) that are equally excellent and often mentioned together. Commonly used in phrases like 〜の双璧.
They are acclaimed as the two matchless figures of Japanese literature.
These two works are the twin peaks of contemporary art.
pair of bright jewels
Original literal meaning: a pair of beautiful gems. Now rare; the figurative sense is dominant.
The etymology of 双璧 is a pair of beautiful jewels.
Standard spelling. 璧 means 'jewel', fitting the original meaning.
Common variant using 壁 ('wall'), but considered irregular kanji usage. Often seen in practice.
From Chinese 雙璧 (shuāngbì), literally 'pair of jade disks'. The figurative sense of two matchless things developed from the idea of two equally precious jewels.