noun
Refers to a leftover or small piece of something physical, such as cloth, paper, or wood.
布の端くれで人形を作った。
I made a doll from scraps of cloth.
noun
unimportant member; mere ...; humble ...
Used in the pattern ...の端くれ to humbly or dismissively refer to oneself or someone as a minor, insignificant member of a group or profession. Often self-referential.
I'm a mere doctor myself, so I understand a little.
彼は学者の端くれとして意見を述べた。
He gave his opinion as a humble scholar.
かけら is a more common word for a fragment or broken piece, while 端くれ often implies a leftover or cut-off piece, and also has the figurative sense of an unimportant member.
Compound of 端 (はし, 'edge, end') + くれ (from くれる, 'to give', but here likely a nominalized form meaning 'small piece'). The exact derivation is uncertain.