Bottle of Suleiman

The Bottle of Suleiman was released in 1993 as part of Arabian Nights, the first expansion set for the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. Inspired by Middle Eastern mythology and the folk tales of One Thousand and One Nights, the set was designed by Richard Garfield and a small team at Wizards of the Coast to introduce flavor-driven mechanics and lore to the burgeoning game. The set's release marked a pivotal moment in the industry, establishing the precedent for expansion sets and contributing to the game's initial explosion in popularity.

The artwork for the card was created by artist Jesper Myrfors, who served as the game's original art director. Myrfors sought to capture the exotic and mystical essence of the source material through a distinct, hand-painted aesthetic that defined the visual identity of early Magic cards. Within the context of the game, the card functions as an artifact that allows players to gamble on a coin flip to capture an opposing creature, reflecting the unpredictable nature of genies and magical containment rituals found in classical lore.