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Please what is the title? I think the man with crossed arms is Yoshinobu...and the lady on top his
tokugawa wife. Who are the workers? Who are the customers?

The best information I can find quickly comes from a catalog from the Machida Museum: Bakumatsu no fūshiga: Boshin sensō o chūshin ni. Tōkyō: Machida shiritsu hakubutsukan at p. 44, pl. 89.

The print is entitled: 當世ごまのお萩 which translates as Contemporary Sesame Ohagi. Ohagi are a confection made of pounded rice in this case coated with ground sesame. The men in the right panel are grinding sesame, I believe.

The print is described by the Machida Museum as follows:

“おはぎ屋で、ごまをする人々のつぶやきでもって、長州藩に追従する諸藩を風刺したもの。おはぎ屋は萩で長州藩のこと。「ごまをする」とは、～つらう、追従する。おべっかを遣うこと。薩摩藩、土佐藩をはじめ安芸藩、大垣藩、阿波藩などが描かれている。おはぎを食べる左端の人物は「年太夫」とあるところから、この絵は関年の慶応4（明治元）戊辰の年であることを示唆している。”

Translated to (forgive the machine translation):

"This artwork satirizes various clans that followed the Choshu Domain through the murmurs of people grinding sesame at an ohagi shop. The ohagi shop represents the Choshu Domain, as "ohagi" can be associated with "Hagi," a town in the Choshu Domain. The phrase "goma wo suru" (grinding sesame) metaphorically means to flatter or curry favor. The clans depicted include the Satsuma Domain, Tosa Domain, Aki Domain, Ogaki Domain, and Awa Domain. The figure at the left edge eating ohagi is labeled "Toshidayu," suggesting that this picture is from the fourth year of the Keio era (1868), also known as the first year of the Meiji era, during the Boshin War.”

As to the identity of the man with his arms folded and the women behind him I cannot say. I don’t recognize the patterns on their clothing as associated with Tokugawa. However, it looks like some thoughtful person has affixed little slips of paper identifying some of the characters. I await comments from someone with a better eye for kanji

Hope this helps.

Dear Michael,

Thank you for the information. It should be an imperial side print then...

I thought the lady waiter had a kimono with an aoi/hollyhock flower derived design which indicated she belonged to the Tokugawa clan.

To what other (imperial side) clan would this design correspond then?

Francis

Title,
當世ごまのお萩　-　Tosei goma o-hagi - Present-day Sesame O-Hagi Cakes
Inscription on noren (shop-curtain),
錦京屋　- Nishiki Kyōya

The subject of the picture is the making of sesame cakes and offering them for upscale guests for consumption on the theme of Boshin War.
To make sesame cakes, the sesame seeds must be ground in a mortar. (Here in an oversized enormous one) In Japanese, the term grinding sesame "goma wo suru" has an another meaning too, which is to act in a way that makes people like you, to make your own gain. In other words, to butter someone up or flatter someone.
Around the huge mortar the representatives of clans such as Ōgaki, Ōmura, Aki, Owari, Satsuma etc. can be recognized by the patterns of their kimonos.
The lady who hands over the cakes to the guests is
Tenshōin (Atsuko),
The distinguished guest are,
阿里太夫　Ari tayū - The high-ranking actor "Ari"
Distorted form of Mōri (Mōri Takachika), daimyō of
the Chōshu domain.

Next to him,
伊可物太夫　- The high-ranking actor "Oddball"
He is Ii Naonori (井伊直憲）-　of Hikone clan, belonged to the new government army from the beginning.

The third guest、
閏年太夫　Urudoshi-daiyū - The High Ranking Actor "Leap Year" - Because the 1st year of Meiji (1868) was a leap year - the year of publication of the print.

The man with crossed arms with a brest-plate is proably　Yoshinobu.

His quote;
はて、どうしたものだろう、
Well, What should I do ?

For the time being that all what I can help.

With regards,
I.Nagy

Thank you so much!
Is there a database which lists and shows the crests of clans involved in the Boshin war?
Francis

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