noun
Dated, literary word for a person's face or facial features. Modern Japanese normally uses 顔 (かお) or 表情 (ひょうじょう).
彼女の美しいかんばせが忘れられない。
I cannot forget her beautiful face.
noun
Dated, literary use referring to one's honor or social standing. Similar to the modern 面目 (めんぼく) or 体面 (たいめん).
彼はかんばせを立てるために努力した。
He made an effort to save face.
The common modern word for 'face'. かんばせ is a dated, literary synonym.
Modern word for 'honor' or 'face' in the social sense. かんばせ in this sense is archaic.
The historical derivation is uncertain. The kanji 顔 is conventionally associated with the meaning 'face', but the reading かんばせ is not a standard on'yomi or kun'yomi and may be an old compound or shift.