Pistol with Tokugawa family crest. Signed: Inoue Kan'emon. Japan 18th or 19th century. Iron, silver, lacquer. The circle with three leaves is the Tokugawa family coat of arms. From the 17th to the mid-19th century this family ruled Japan as warlords, shogun. It was they, not the emperor, who exercised real power. Pistols were introduced to Japan by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Nevertheless, the sword remained the principal weapon.