Interesting item, and the European 'hunting sword' idea is I think pretty much spot on. The hilt shape recalls the couteau de chasse hunting hangers of the 18th century, while the blade seems very much Chinese dao.
The decoration on the hilt is indeed chinoiserie (Chinese style) and while I am unsure may be of the plum blossom theme (which usually looked more like seaweed in these applications).
Though the guard is very much like Chinese jian in style, in the 18th century Europeans, probably greatly inspired by the East Indies trade and the VOC eagerly looked for exotic styles in material culture and fashion. This of course extended to weaponry and such exotica in sword design was often termed 'Tonquinese' which actually meant indirectly 'Chinese' (in the west Tonkin meant N. Viet Nam while Cochin referred to the south).
This derived from a mixture of the fact that the VOC had a factory in Tonkin (North Vietnam) until 1707 and later items actually produced in Peking were regarded in that context. To complicate matters some hilts were made using black shakudo motif, from the Japan points in the VOC network.
Aylward (1945, p.57) notes..." the Company (VOC) brought over some Chinese workmen to Europe who produced in Amsterdam".
This was of course in direct contact with Solingen, and it seems I have heard of other Chinese workers in East Europe as well.
In the mid 18th century the famed 'pandour' units of Austrian and Hungarian armies favored the 'Oriental' look , which often used various Ottoman as well as other tribal fashions and weapons of such styling. This hilt style is close to that effect, but further with Chinese styling and apparently blade.
Such exotic weaponry was very much status oriented and while not necessarily to these type units, it may well have been a gentlemans weapon alluding to them.
On the other hand, the presence of a Chinese blade on this might move the possibility back to China, where the Qian Long emperor in the latter 18th century very much favored 'foreign' styling in sword hilts and perhaps this design was in that manner.
Unique example with these possibilities.
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