root portion of the bucket 143 that serves as the sealing surface for a reduced footprint seal as described in further detail below in the illustrated embodiment rather than providing a dovetail for receipt in a dovetail groove the carrier 146 has a single engaging hook or flange 148 the carrier 146 is illustrated as received in a shaped groove 150 formed directly in the diaphragm or nozzle inner ring or web 116 arid thus eliminating the need for carrier 28 shown in fig1 with a single hook 148 received in channel portion 152 of the groove 150 in the illustrated example moreover the brush seal carrier 146 is a laminated structure comprised of the compliant bristles 136 sandwiched between the hard tooth seal 122 and a backing plate 156 the hard tooth seal 122 is comprised of a forward integrated hard tooth seal plate 154 formed with a spacer portion 158 to space the compliant bristles 136 from the balance of the hard tooth seal plate 154 to thereby allow forward axial flexing of the compliant bristles 136 in a conventional manner the backing plate 156 on the other hand includes a projecting support 160 to limit aft axial flexing of the compliant bristles 136 in an example embodiment of the invention at least one hard tooth seal element 162 is incorporated e g machined into the hard tooth seal plate 154 at the radially inner end thereof extending.