Hmm... I've been pondering this one since first posted. My initial reaction was to say, 'Yes, a European cutlass', but then I paused. This piece has a somewhat Asian feel to it in that the grip reminds me of Burmese dha and some Chinese pieces I have seen. The guard's shell and quillon are more lobe-shaped than rounded, reminding me again of some Chinese cutlass-types I've seen. The bamboo marking- could it possibly be a character/letter vs a design? In either case, such a decoration again lends to a possible Asian association. This isn't a bad thing, as the piece is still magnificent in my opinion. It calls to mind the Chinese River pirates and Malay pirate pieces we've discussed in the past.
Then again (
), there were French patterns of naval cutlass that came out around the late 18th/early 19th century that were heavily influenced by items coming out of the Orient. Just as England was embracing naval dirks and swords that resembled jambiya and mameluke swords, as were Napolean's forces being exposed to other cultures. I've seen a fairly traditional m1800 French naval cutlass with 'willow' decorations to the blade. Also, in many of Frederick's sword catalogs in the past, I've seen French cuttoes and cutlass with distinctive Chinese patterns, including rather gaudy MOP inlaid grips, non-traditional shaped guards, etc.
In my dealings with naval items, I've been flummoxed and frustrated with identification many a time. Specifically when it comes to private purchase cutlass and axes. Sorry I couldn't be of much more help in exact ID. It's still a great piece for a naval collection, though.