璧

• A flat, circular ritual jade disk with a central hole; symbolically associated with Heaven (天).
• Metonymically: A high-value tribute, peace offering, or token of legitimacy and alliance in diplomatic or political contexts.

Primarily used as a noun. Frequently paired with verbs of giving, offering, stealing, or returning.

// Contrast 璧 (the disk object) with 碧 (//bì*), which refers to the color deep green/blue or jade of that color.

// In cosmological contexts, it is often contrasted with the square //cong* (琮), which represents Earth.

// When paired with verbs of returning or preserving (e.g., 完璧 //wán bì*), the term may imply a broader connotation of integrity, wholeness, or the restoration of an object to its original state.

• Consider whether the central hole is being treated as a functional feature (for threading or hanging) or as a symbolic one.