Archaic term for a customer or client, similar to modern 得意先 (とくいさき). Not used in contemporary Japanese.
See also: 得意先
It is said that merchant houses in the Edo period valued their customers (得意場).
Compound of 得意 (とくい, 'regular customer') and 場 (ば, 'place/person'), referring to a customer or client. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.