Reddit reviews The Art of Oriental Embroidery: History, Aesthetics, and Techniques

I did get a design-related degree, so I do consider myself an artsy person, but I never learned about textiles formally. I'm Korean-American and I've always loved traditional clothing, so it's just a hobby for me, haha. And wow, I'll be honest, I wasn't sure anybody would be willing to drop that kind of money on my recommendation XD ! I'm sure you'll love it.

Yes, that book is VERY expensive, and I have yet to get it myself, but it's high on my wishlist. I actually bought one of the author's first books on East Asian embroidery to get a taste of what her other books might offer, and I thought it was really good information for the price. It's from 1980 though, so the age does show.

http://www.amazon.com/Oriental-Embroidery-Young-Yang-Chung/dp/0684162482/ref=la_B001JXS6HQ_1_3s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419142855&sr=1-3

It's mostly black and white, and the unhappy reviewer in right in saying that many of the black and white photographs can be difficult to make out details. But the color pages in the middle are good, and the text had enough detailed information on the history, symbolism, and context of embroidery that it was easily worth the less than $10 with shipping. I loved that it had a visual appendix in the back of common groups of motifs used in embroidery and their meanings. The book uses specific famous examples from each culture to give the reader an idea of the culture's unique embroidery: Chinese dragon robe, the Japanese kimono, and the Korean bridal dress. They also have chapters on home accessories, clothing accessories, and screens and banners. The book does a lot of walking you through how the things were made and the techniques used, almost like step-by-step tutorials. It's not an exhaustive book, but it's a great start if you don't mind the unflattering black-and-white photographs and heavy reliance on the text.

http://www.amazon.com/Painting-Needle-Learning-Embroidery-Young/dp/0810945703/ref=asap_B001JXS6HQ?ie=UTF8

This is another, much more modern book from her (2003) that's also very affordable, but I believe this book is also more focused on the actual crafting of embroidery for embroiderers who wish to try it themselves. I have yet to get this book, but it's also on my list.

I'm glad to see other people who are interested in these topics like me =) . I'm hoping to go to Korea very soon with the EPIK program, and I'm looking forward to being able to see all these things in person at their museums and market. Good luck!