diff --git a/cubes/common.py b/cubes/common.py
index 406526a2..a6046017 100644
--- a/cubes/common.py
+++ b/cubes/common.py
@@ -47,20 +47,31 @@ def __repr__(self):
 
         return "{%s}" % ", ".join(items)
 
-def assert_instance(obj, class_, label):
-    """Raises ArgumentError when `obj` is not instance of `cls`"""
-    if not isinstance(obj, class_):
+def assert_instance(obj, cls, label):
+    """Raises ArgumentError when `obj` is not instance of `cls`.
+
+    * `cls` - can either be a type or a tuple of type (see also `isinstance`).
+    * `label` - the variable name on which the test is performed.
+    """
+    if not isinstance(obj, cls):
+        if isinstance(cls, type):
+            class_name = cls.__name__
+        else:
+            class_name = ' or '.join(c.__name__ for c in cls)
         raise ModelInconsistencyError("%s should be sublcass of %s, "
                                       "provided: %s" % (label,
-                                                        class_.__name__,
+                                                        class_name,
                                                         type(obj).__name__))
 
 
-def assert_all_instances(list_, class_, label="object"):
-    """Raises ArgumentError when objects in `list_` are not instances of
-    `cls`"""
+def assert_all_instances(list_, cls, label="object"):
+    """Raises ArgumentError when objects in `list_` are not instances of `cls`.
+
+    * `cls` - can either be a type or a tuple of type (see also `isinstance`).
+    * `label` - the variable name on which the test is performed.
+    """
     for obj in list_ or []:
-        assert_instance(obj, class_, label="object")
+        assert_instance(obj, cls, label=label)
 
 
 class MissingPackageError(Exception):
diff --git a/cubes/metadata/base.py b/cubes/metadata/base.py
index 5e31656c..ecd2df99 100644
--- a/cubes/metadata/base.py
+++ b/cubes/metadata/base.py
@@ -60,27 +60,30 @@ def to_dict(self, create_label=None, **options):
 
         return out
 
-    def localized(self, context):
-        """Returns a copy of the cube translated with `translation`"""
-
-        acopy = self.__class__.__new__(self.__class__)
-        acopy.__dict__ = self.__dict__.copy()
-
-        d = acopy.__dict__
+    def clone(self, **attrs):
+        """Clone the model with modifications of his attributes.
 
-        for attr in self.localizable_attributes:
-            d[attr] = context.get(attr, getattr(self, attr))
-
-        for attr in self.localizable_lists:
-            list_copy = []
+        * `attrs` - new values for each of his attributes.
+        """
+        d = self.to_dict()
+        d.update(**attrs)
+        return type(self)(**d)
 
-            if hasattr(acopy, attr):
-                for obj in getattr(acopy, attr):
-                    obj_context = context.object_localization(attr, obj.name)
-                    list_copy.append(obj.localized(obj_context))
-                    setattr(acopy, attr, list_copy)
+    def localized(self, context):
+        """Returns a copy of the cube translated with `translation`"""
 
-        return acopy
+        changed_attr = {
+            attr: context.get(attr, getattr(self, attr))
+            for attr in self.localizable_attributes
+        }
+        changed_attr.update({
+            attr: [
+                obj.localized(context.object_localization(attr, obj.name))
+                for obj in getattr(self, attr)
+            ]
+            for attr in self.localizable_lists
+        })
+        return self.clone(**changed_attr)
 
 
 def object_dict(objects, by_ref=False, error_message=None, error_dict=None):
diff --git a/cubes/metadata/cube.py b/cubes/metadata/cube.py
index 3517a660..74ce82bd 100644
--- a/cubes/metadata/cube.py
+++ b/cubes/metadata/cube.py
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@
 IMPLICIT_AGGREGATE_LABELS.update(aggregate_calculator_labels())
 
 
+def _replace_all_dict_by_instance(sequence, cls):
+    return [cls(**o) if isinstance(o, dict) else o for o in sequence]
+
+
 class Cube(ModelObject):
     """Logical representation of a cube.
 
@@ -249,6 +253,7 @@ def __init__(self, name, dimensions=None, measures=None, aggregates=None,
         # Measures
 
         measures = measures or []
+        measures = _replace_all_dict_by_instance(measures, Measure)
         assert_all_instances(measures, Measure, "measure")
         self._measures = object_dict(measures,
                                      error_message="Duplicate measure {key} "
@@ -258,6 +263,7 @@ def __init__(self, name, dimensions=None, measures=None, aggregates=None,
         # Aggregates
         #
         aggregates = aggregates or []
+        measures = _replace_all_dict_by_instance(measures, MeasureAggregate)
         assert_all_instances(aggregates, MeasureAggregate, "aggregate")
 
         self._aggregates = object_dict(aggregates,
@@ -267,6 +273,7 @@ def __init__(self, name, dimensions=None, measures=None, aggregates=None,
 
         # We don't need to access details by name
         details = details or []
+        measures = _replace_all_dict_by_instance(measures, Attribute)
         assert_all_instances(details, Attribute, "detail")
         self.details = details