The cockatoo are not a native species to Japan. They were imported by the Chinese, thus they were an extremely rare sight for anyone except for the military ruling elite. Within Japanese art in general they are scarcely depicted, however, within netsuke-art they certainly qualify for the label, rare.
Soshin is an artist I have a particular fondness for. If one takes into account his bakemono netsuke, a wildly imaginative mind is demonstrated and he exhibits tremendous skill in replicating that imagination in his work. Observationally, he again demonstrates a profound ability. When evaluating this bird, it is very easy to get completely drawn into that sole aspect of the netsuke. However, rewind a little and assess the composition as a whole and you will find that the work is an opposing mix of textures.
The birds plump plumage is soft, with a 'feel' of pliability, contrasting with the roughness of the branch with its bark, peeling away in areas. Pine needles that spray from the branch add a prickly dimension. A vine trails around the branch and nestles against the body of the bird. Tiny spurs randomly shoot from the vine which dangles, captured by gravity, suppleness conveyed brilliantly.
To suggest this netsuke is merely a cockatoo is to disregard many of its virtues. Furthermore to not appreciate the time that Soshin worked is to overlook his importance within the history of netsuke-art.
Soshin was an artist with Kaigyokusai skill a generation prior to that particular master sharpening his knife. In fact it would not surprise me to learn that Kaigyokusai himself was influenced by Soshin. For me, Soshin's pedigree comes from the master Mataemon, a sublime figure carver from Wakayama who's work has only been recorded a handful of times. Though when a Mataemon does appear, the only word to describe his work that is accurate, is sublime.
Like who I believe was his master, Soshin's work is rare, though when encountered it is more often than not, sublime. Turn his work in the hand it is difficult to suggest where improvement could have been made to the netsuke. That occurrence, where a work cannot be improved upon, only exists in a few percent of cases and bear in mind, millions of netsuke were made and still exist today.
Spend a lifetime collecting only Mataemon and Soshin (this is not a suggestion) and one would probably only acquire, a handful of netsuke, in a half century of searching. However, that handful of netsuke would compete and invariably, succeed over comparatives, whether contemporary or works produced by subsequent masters.
