ruddy face; reddish-brown face
A literary or classical term for a face flushed or naturally reddish-brown, often from drinking, anger, or sun exposure. Rare in everyday speech; modern equivalents include 赤ら顔 or 赤い顔.
In classical literature, a drunk person's face is sometimes described as 赭顔.
Compound of 赭 (sha, 'reddish-brown') and 顔 (gan, 'face'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; it is a Sino-Japanese word used in classical and literary contexts.