row = [   row.get( skey , defaults[vartypes[i]] )   for i,skey   in enumerate(rowmap)   ]

                # map Python2 unicode to str
                row = [ str(value) if type(value) is unicode else value  for value in row ]

                # autotransform string -> gtk image object
                if (pix_entry and type(row[pix_entry]) == str):
                    pix = None
                    try:
                        if os.path.exists(row[pix_entry]):
                            pix = gtk.gdk.pixbuf_new_from_file(row[pix_entry])
                    except Exception as e:
                        log.ERR("uikik.columns: Pixbuf fail,", e)
                    row[pix_entry] = pix or defaults[gtk.gdk.Pixbuf]

                try:
                    # add
                    ls.append(row)   # had to be adapted for real TreeStore (would require additional input for grouping/level/parents)

                except:
                    # brute-force typecast