It appears to be a universal motor so would be capable of running on AC. However for speed controlled motors it isn't uncommon for manufacturers to use a 100V motor world-wide and use a region dependent speed control module that limits the max. average motor voltage to 100V, so bypassing the speed controller in a 220V-240V country may be risky.
Try running it with no load on its shaft, on 12V DC. It should spin steadily at a smallish fraction of its normal speed. If its jerky there's probably something wrong with it.
Also try a low wattage mains incandescent bulb in place of the motor. (not greater than 10% of the motor watts). The speed control should vary its brightness.