Consider doing this entirely with the python wrappers. The resulting objects will retain their Java identity and function within Perspective but will be mutable and iterable as if they were native python objects. If you register the wrappers correctly in the Python subsystem, the wrapping will be entirely automatic anywhere python calls a java method to retrieve one of these objects. And anywhere you deliberately call java2py within perspective to expose one of these objects to a python interface. Please take a look at my experience with Vision's PyComponentWrapper:
Perspective's java objects treated this way will simply be python objects, too.