Although with some stitches you can't help making the back nearly as neat as the front (classics indeed being blackwork and tent stitch, etc), I'm not aware of any medieval embroidery being made this way on purpose. And whether styles like blackwork or asissi work, or several others, very much depends on your geographical context. Its appearance at cuffs and collars doesn't have any real relevance to the state of the back, as embroidery was done prior to the making up of the garment (usually), so that the back of the work would be unlikely to be seen. As far as I'm aware the neatness of the back of embroidery dates to the beginnings of samplers - and the earliest known one of these is late 16th century (I think - the one in the v&a textiles room). Both sides same embroidery, where the intention of the work is to have both sides looking exactly the same is 19th century thing (possibly late 18th??), that came about for use on things like military standards. It's also incredibly difficult to do, and one of the banes of my life!! :o)
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