imperial face; noble countenance
Honorific literary term for the face of an emperor or high-ranking noble. Rare in modern Japanese; found mainly in classical texts or formal historical descriptions.
In old documents, the expression 'to behold the imperial face' can be found.
Compound of 玉 (ぎょく, 'jewel, precious') and 顔 (がん, 'face'), literally 'jewel face'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; it is a conventional honorific formation in classical Japanese.